A/N: This story initially began out as a huge sadgasm with our favorite characters breaking up and terrible things happening (it was terrible and heartbreaking) but I redid it and made it happy and now I think it's sort of tender and beautiful so enjoy. Forgive me for the smuttiness but I've never written smut/sex before and I have no personal experience on the topic so it might seem really unnatural and awkward. *Hides face in shame*
Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or its characters.
Marry Me
"Marry me."
Wally wasn't sure what caused him to past out; whether it was the fact that Artemis, his girlfriend of five years, recently returned from a dangerous uncover mission, had just asked him that question or the fact that because of her statement he choked on a rather large bite of his sandwich; again, he wasn't really sure. But as his eyelids fluttered open and he saw Artemis hovering above him squinting as she looked at him with rampant anticipation he could only say the most unintelligent thing that came to his mind,
"What?" She sighed and rolled her eyes before uttering.
"Forget it. Dumb question." He could hear the tightness in her voice and watery undertones as she said that statement before offering him a hand and hoisting him off the floor of their apartment. Of course Nelson thought it was some sort of game and she was already pawing at Wally trying to force him back to the ground. But once he was righted and the dog meandered away, Artemis attempted to retreat but her hand was being held in his iron-like grip because he wasn't quite sure he wanted to let her go when she looked like she was about to cry. She struggled against his grip before snapping,
"Let go, Wallace." He flinched at his name, she only used it when she was really pissed off and he contained his laughter as she yanked on her arm to no avail.
"I don't think so, Arty," he felt her freeze at the despised nickname, "You didn't think you can just ask me that and escape did you?" Her visage changed and any pretense at ignoring her original question faded and she squared her shoulders and craned her neck, because he towered a good foot above her, to catch his eye,
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Wally shrugged easily pulling the blonde toward him, "Whatever you want it to mean, babe." He waggled his eyebrows dramatically for effect.
"Oh my God," muttered Artemis. "How am I in love with you. It's impossible."
"Hey I'm not the one that just popped the question," teased Wally kissing her nose. "I didn't even get a ring or anything. How is that fair?"
"Because where have you been for the last six months making a dent in our couch? I've been undercover. Not many outlet malls at the bottom of the sea." Wally pulled a face at the unwarranted reminder as he buried his nose in her hair. She had finally stopped smelling of salt and algae.
"I have not been making a dent in the couch." He groused.
"Pretty sure I rolled into it when I sat down."
"Pretty sure someone deprived me of sex for six months so I had to use alternative methods."
"Gross," she squealed slapping his shoulder. "Ugh, just…how am I suppose to. Ugh. That couch was a gift from my mother." Wally smirked and Artemis continued to squirm in his grip.
"I'm glad your back," he whispered into her hair nuzzling her like a cat. "I missed you."
"Really? Because it's hard to tell when you appear to have been entertaining yourself so sufficiently." Wally snorted smiling into her luscious hair, thinking about this entirely ludicrous conversation they were having and how normal it felt.
He looked over her shoulder at the calendar. The calendar that wasn't even supposed to be there. It's a decorative facade to hide the hole he'd in punched in the wall when Dick finally came clean about Kaldur's betrayal and subsequently told them he wanted Artemis back in the game. He looked at the calendar reading the words and deciphering the messages. Summer break had only just begun. His internship with Professor Smith wouldn't start for two weeks. Artemis has pretty much sworn off missions for life. It was an opportunity. A perfect opportunity and Wally pondered when things would ever align so perfectly again.
"So where do you want to go for our honeymoon?"
"What?" questioned Artemis. It was her turn to be aghast and she slid a bit in his arms.
"Well for the next two weeks we're totally free. Let's go somewhere. Get away."
"Then why call it a honeymoon?" she muttered rolling her eyes and glaring at him playfully. "You're making fun of me."
"I never said no." He mentioned alluding to her earlier question.
"Just you and me?" Artemis bit her lip as she looked up at Wally her eyes speaking volumes as they hovered somewhere between nervous excitement and fear. It was funny how the fear of being alone never left her face even after all these years. Scars never really heal.
Wally chuckled lips curving into a voracious smile. "All yours, babe." Between them they probably only had about $300 dollars and that limited things. They were students but Wally knew he could show her the world, one of the big perks of being a speedster.
Somehow they managed to convince their neighbor Mr. Peters to watch Neslon while they were away. Which actually took a lot of work because Peters hated not only dogs but their dog in particular – one too many accidents on his lawn. But now that Nelson was whining behind the closed door and scratching at it valiantly Artemis hitched the single backpack upon her shoulders.
"One bag?" said Wally mockingly. "Zatanna would be ashamed. How will one maintain their beauty regime? Do you even have moisturizer?"
"Funny," stated Artemis. "First, Zatanna doesn't need luggage she has magic." Wally scoffed. "Second, the bag is basically food and clean underwear. More food than anything. I'd really rather not have you complain the entire time you're hungry."
"Optional underwear tempting." She smacked him on the arm as they walked toward a secluded area. Neither of them had cell phones, credit cards, communicators or anything their overprotective families or friends could use to track them down. This was going to be just about them and no one was going to interrupt them.
"Where do you want to go?" asked Wally arbitrarily as she climbed onto his back and he wound his arms beneath her thighs.
"Anywhere with running water and sunshine."
"Specific," stated Wally rolling his eyes. "Anywhere in the world babe. Free international taxi here." It was a little inside joke of theirs because of his yellow uniform. She pressed her face into the junction between his shoulder blades kissing the fabric of his shirt.
"Take me somewhere pretty," she sighed. "I've seen enough destruction to last me a lifetime. Just go Wally." And that was all the prompting he needed before he took off, sailing across the ground with boundless agility Artemis clinging to his back.
They ended up somewhere in Kansas in a field of molten gold, startling a murder of crows from their feasting.
"How's this?" he asked as Artemis climbed down stretching her arms over her head.
"Not bad," she pulled out her ponytail letting her hair fall against her back, the wind brushing the golden locks into shimmering waves. "Not bad at all." She offered Wally her hand. "Dance good sir?"
"In the middle of a wheat field in broad daylight? It's scandalous!" He grabbed her hand regardless. Sure he had just run cross country and really needed a sandwich and a break but Artemis was offering him her perfectly calloused hand that fit in his like a puzzle piece and he wasn't going to turn her down.
"Maybe this is how crop circles are made," he chuckled spinning her out and in, hair flying into his mouth.
"More romantic then an alien an invasion," spat Artemis shivering as she recalled just how close everything had come to ending. There was no music except the chirping of bugs and the squabble of the crows but, hey, who was there to watch.
"It's over, babe." He said soothingly settling his hands against her hips.
"It's never over." The choreography ended and he and Artemis just stood side by side staring out at the horizon. "I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I saved Earth."
"While putting your life in mortal danger. Yeah what a rush." Wally clenched his fists. He didn't want to sound like a total spaz but when it came to his headstrong, beautiful Artemis running into the line of fire, willingly, it was hard not to. Really hard. Love made him do crazy things – mostly jealous, childish things – how did she have the ability to revert him to a pouty, selfish five year old?
"I know you don't mean that so I'm going to ignore it in favor of not ruining the moment." She sighed drinking in the horizon and the never-ending fields. "Where to next?"
They spend the next couple of days zipping across the country. Artemis pressed against him, the wind in his hair and pavement nipping at his heels; he had forgotten how much he missed it – the running. They even make it to Hawaii where they lounge on hammocks for a good two days and skinny dip in the ocean before they head back to the continent.
Somewhere outside El Paso they run into Bart and Jaime and it was awkward enough with Artemis on his back and those two holding hands making sappy lovestruck eyes at each other. Apparently Bart thought it would be super retro to have a picnic which is what the two were doing before the couple decided to interrupt (nearly run them over). Although it looked like Bart was prepared to forgive him, and give him a couple of sandwiches, if his futuristic cousin got hounding rights for this debacle for life.
"So cuz," the younger speedster smirked as he draped an arm over his fidgeting partner who appeared to be having a deep conversation with himself. "This is why you've gone awol. A girl." Artemis snorted into the pop she was drinking and Wally looked at her piteously for help.
"He's right."
"We don't have to tell him that," grumbled Wally. "The kid is dangerous with sensitive information."
"Hey, hey I think we're failing to remember who kept their mouth shut about the whole Blue Beetle thing and the apocalyptic future." Jaime looked like he just wanted to escape the terribly awkward situation.
"Great job at that by the way," said Wally sarcastically but relented. Bart had managed to grow on him in the last few months. "You're alright kid." Bart kind of grinned chowing down.
"Crash." Jaime eventually gave them directions to a local motel and they forced Bart to not compromise their mission so long as Wally promised not to tell Barry where Bart had been sneaking out to. It was hilarious how Barry was treating Bart as a baby test drive; Bart was pretty sure Barry was going to baby proof him if he wasn't careful. Artemis had laughed.
It was a pretty seedy looking establishment but it was cheap so they decided to stay. Because really, how bad could it be? Besides Artemis had been giving him signals all day. Her toes curling into his upper calves, hands traveling higher on his thigh, her fingers fiddling in the curls at the nape of his neck, which she knew drove him wild.
They actually hadn't been intimate at all since her return.
That had not been the purpose of this trip. This "honeymoon" was supposed to be an acclimation period for them to reacquaint themselves. Not that sex wouldn't be fantastic but there was doubt and nervousness still lingering between them. Their separation had been incredibly hard and simply jumping back into the proverbial sack would have only served to hurt them. But Wally's assumption was, thankfully, totally right when he hadn't even finished kicking the door closed before Artemis was a weight against him, lips pressing fervently against every available piece of him they could reach.
Wally secretly loved when Artemis dominated him. When she took the initiative and did all these little things that surprised him in totally unhealthy, mind blowing ways. She really had ruined him.
He leaned heavily back against the motel door and hitched one of her legs up around his waist so as to align their clothed sexes together as she ground against him. Then she was palming him and there was so much fabric. Why was there so much fabric between them? It didn't compute so he reached out and pulled her even closer, closer then he thought physically possible, knocking the backpack off her shoulder in the process, lips chasing hers as she devilishly nipped at his other exposed skin. Teasing him.
He growled somewhere in the back of his throat catching her chin so he could align their lips in a satisfying, cataclysmic kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth.
"Dirty cheat," she hissed into his mouth as they battled for dominance. "No hands."
"Whoops," he joked pulling his fingers away from her face. Clearly not satisfied she snaked her hands beneath his shirt her lean digits pressing into his back creating ripples of soothing heat as she massaged up his sides, her thumbs skirting over his pectorals. Wally broke the kiss groaning hotly as her fingers took a dive and dipped lower beneath the waistband of his jeans kneading the skin.
"Now who's cheating," he grit out panting as her hands slid even lower. He sometimes wondered if Artemis secretly had an obsession with his caboose – not that he was complaining. He pushed off the door forcing her to take two huge steps back until the back of her knees hit the rather questionable looking bed.
"Too soon."
"Not soon enough," murmured Wally pressing closer and Artemis was forced to sit on the bed as Wally stood above her, body flushed and quaking, before bending elegantly to capture her lips. Artemis let a satisfied sigh slip through as she brought her hands up to tangle in his hair pulling him even closer. She hummed against his lips letting him lay her down gently as he slid on top of her.
"I missed you," he affirmed for what felt like the millionth time since his girlfriend came home. He peppered kisses across her face, chin and neck. "I really missed you."
Artemis reached up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders pulling him down so their foreheads touched and their breathes intermingled. "Show me." She bit her lip indulgently as he let his fingers deviously work their way under her shirt, worshiping each patch of screen revealed to him as the cloth rode higher and higher until she broke their contact so he could pull it off altogether.
He grinned impishly cupping her breasts through her bra, testing their weight and feel. "I've missed you two." Artemis bit his neck where she was creating a hickey, nibbling around her words.
"Do you always have to ruin the moment?"
"You know you were expecting it right."
"The corniness or your hyperactive sex drive?" taunted Artemis as he felt her hand glide against the front of his pants expertly unzipping and unbuttoning them. He felt the feeling in his stomach build and his length hardened inexplicably at the intimate contact. Wally propped himself up on his elbows and touched his chin contemplatively.
"Both, perhaps."
Artemis let out a growl of frustration at the loss of contact pulling him back down towards her, hands eagerly diving to the hem of his shirt and yanking it up. He was pretty sure she wanted to make a quip about his inability to go fast when it mattered but he figured he could just stem that little insult by capturing her mouth in a searing kiss as her hands worked their way up his back and he finally managed to kick off his shoes.
He let one of his hands trail down her torso till it dipped beneath her pants searching out the secret warmth therein. When he touched her, his index finger running against her lips, Artemis tore her mouth away from his moaning loudly and arching her pelvis up against him desperately. Clearly he wasn't the only one that had been frustrated, as the coil in his stomach tightened.
"Babe what are you doing to me?" he asked breathlessly words barely registering in his mind. Everything was hot and he had missed this so much. Artemis wasn't big on talking during lovemaking usually preferring to just make him writhe helplessly from her ministrations. She also wasn't a big fan of slow once foreplay was over which was made apparent as she tugged his pants and underwear down, mindful of his length, as far as she could reach.
"Condom?" she managed to pant throwing her hands back to grip the headboard when he decided to let his fingers vibrate against her soaking sex. With his hand still in her panties it completed thwarted her attempts to get them off as she squirmed. But he was having none of that.
"Not yet."
"Bastard," she uttered her body grinding against his hand unbidden as she yearned for that sweet friction.
"Tell me how bad you want it." She punched his bicep in retaliation. He was totally used to it. Bruises were just part of their relationship. Her chest was heaving, her still clothed breasts hypnotizing him. Artemis's eyes were closed and she was clearly battling the urge to just throw him off and take control, he licked up a droplet of sweat that ran down the side of her face stopping to kiss her eyebrow.
Her eyes opened sex blown steel pupils staring at him through a lust glazed expression. "Marry me."
"Fuck, yes!" he moaned capturing her pink petals in a dirty French kiss as Artemis grabbed his previously neglected member, hands pumping at an incredibly delicious pace. He wasn't even sure if he had answered her question at all. But he could deal with that issue later since he was otherwise preoccupied. Artemis whined her toes curling into the crumpled, loose fabric of his half on jeans tugging and Wally made quick work to dispose of all their remaining clothing reveling in the longed for skin on skin contact.
"No more stalling," muttered Artemis and Wally pressed his forehead against hers as he tore open a condom and ran it along his pulsating length. He wanted her so bad.
"No more stalling," he responded kissing her cheek sweetly as she mirrored the action. "Ready?" They had all the time in the world there was no point in rushing it. Artemis nodded and his heart swelled at the action even more so as her legs wrapped around his waist pushing him closer toward her center.
And just like that they were together. Joined. One and whole again. All his senses were set ablaze at the sensation of Artemis around him and against him as he set a moderately slow pace before speeding up. Artemis's ankles pressed into his back forcing him deeper and her hips moved to meet his rhythmically and erotically. The mole on her right breast fascinating him as he dipped to kiss the pert buds.
Wally wanted to say something to somehow articulate how much this moment meant to him but his mind was overloaded a blinding whiteness blanketing his thought process as he approached release. Artemis pressed against him hands roaming erratically over his skin sending waves of pleasure coursing through his veins with every fleeting touch. Until she reached the shuddering peak of her orgasm arching against him and pressing so hard it set him off as well. She pushed him onto his back, so he was sprawled diagonally across the bed, and rode out their bliss.
Hair falling down like a curtain around them, a sated smile playing devilishly on her lips, she leaned down kissing him as they pulled apart. "Every night. I missed you. Every night."
Wally disposed of the condom placing his hands tenderly on her waist as he came down from where ever his mind resided. He had forgotten how much he missed the feeling of Artemis's sun kissed skin curled against him. "Course you did. Welcome home." Artemis snorted sweat soaked skin clinging to his.
He moved his hands from her waist to cup her face his eyes boring into hers. "I love you, beautiful."
Her face lit up with simple joy, cheeks flushing slightly. She was always so impressed by the simple gestures. "Course you do." She kissed his adam's apple. "I love you too."
"How much money do we have left?" asked Artemis as Wally slumped against her shoulder a few days later. There were somewhere in Maine, in an area right out of a Stephen King novel. Just trees and heat and no marked roads. Wally was practically waiting for a serial killer to wander out of the woods and the sketchy gas station across the road, that looked like it hadn't been visited in years, wasn't doing anything to brighten the atmosphere.
"Dollar-fifty give or take," sighed Wally jingling the change in his hand. "Talk about budget." Artemis stared at the jumble of coins in his hands fishing out two quarters and standing up.
"Where are you going?" moaned Wally not happy with the loss of her shoulder – loss of her in general really. It was their last day of freedom before they had to return to real life. He was pretty terrified of the messages from his mother, Barry and Dick that were going to be on his phone.
"I'll be right back," she said crossing the road and disappearing into the gas station's convenience store. Wally threw his head back over the top of the bench pondering how long it would take before he got a terrible sunburn in the awful heat. He was almost asleep at least until he felt something small and hard hit him in the chest.
"Ow," he muttered rubbing the offended spot before cracking a lazy eye open. Artemis stood before him, her shadow casting the only shade for miles. "What?"
"Don't say I never bought you anything," was her simple response as she sat beside him holding out a suspicious looking gumball, it looked at least a decade old.
"Gum. Wow." He trilled. "Babe, it's too much!" Artemis rolled her eyes.
"It's what comes with the gum dumbass." Wally raised an eyebrow finally noting the plastic ball that lay in his lap, obviously the projectile from earlier. It was one of those cheesy capsules from gumball machines that contained some tiny prize – and this one in particular contained a ring.
"Oh."
"Oh," mimicked Artemis raising her own left hand to show off a cheap looking plastic ring. God he loved this woman! Wally kind of grinned breaking the shell of his prize open while stuffing the piece of gum into his mouth.
"I feel like a princess," he teased slipping the small band on.
"More like a hog," snorted Artemis. "You were supposed to share the gum."
"One piece of gum, huh? However, will we share?" he crooned leaning forward chewing animatedly. Artemis laughed and it sunk into his bones and warmed him to his marrow.
"Time to go home." She sighed against his puckered lips.
"Yeah," he breathed in response enjoying her chapped lips against his as their fingers wove together twilight falling around them.
There they sat the both of them wearing matching rings from a gumball machine, kind of engaged, and it was perfect.
Review, comment, critique. Oh god what have I done.
