Title: Alice the Tiger
Song: "In Transit" by Mark Hoppus feat. Pete Wentz
Rating: T
Genre: Romance, Angst, Friendship
Fandom: Young Justice: Invasion
Couple: Artemis/Cameron, Article Jr., Frostbite, CamArt
Inspiration: God, I just needed a little loving.
N/A: I saw Rise of the Guardians . . . and somehow, not sure how, got the download to watch it repeatedly over the past few days. WriteOnForever you were right, Jack does remind me of Cameron (not completely) but during the movie I was freaking outlike a squealy little fangirl. New favorite movie!
N/A2: Bad thing to say in a genre catagory Romance movie but I love songs and books and movies that aren't revolved around love. Character development goddamnit! People can grow on their own! Not off each other! . . . how I became this is a long, mean-girl story.
"The world is filled with
the minds of people who will try to discuss."
People lied on a daily bases, it was just human nature. Even the most innocent little white lies about Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy—little things, things to give children a leg up on imagination and something fun to look forward to every passing holiday. They were white lies, the tiny things that saved people from disappointment in life and kept them safe.
She had been spared white lies all her life; everything was such a bitter swelling wound of truth that lies are her keepsake.
She lies to the Team to her mom to her professors and to Wally; and she feels nothing because they're white lies and they don't even matter to be honest.
But for some strange reason lying to Cameron feels wrong. Really wrong.
Both of them were surrounded by truth, and they can't take the lies.
"A light will; shine through
When no one can save you."
Cameron's staring at her and his brows are knit together, puzzled until finally they smooth out and the words fall from his lips slow and deliberate like he can't believe he hadn't thought of it before. "You're under cover aren't you?"
His expression is twisting and his head tilts to the side like a different view point might help him understand, but he's still looking at her was the same pitifully hurt, kicked puppy expression that is endless etched into his features whenever he looks at her.
"You just keep twisting that knife don't you?"
If he had a grip on her heart right now, he wouldn't even have to squeeze, it was caving in all on its own.
Cameron's lips twitched and Artemis downcast her gaze because she doesn't deserve to look him in the eye.
"I just wanted to help you . . ."
"And you feel, the eyes of people who try to decide."
Why couldn't she have just lied to Cameron?
Why did he have to find her out?
Why couldn't he have just left it alone?
Why did he have to think so highly of her when she was nothing but terrible to him?
It only hurt him in the end, so why?
"You'll find yourself lost, inside of the chaos."
She thinks she knows the reason. For all of the above.
A pact they made as children that held them together through the worst of times.
"You're with me—"
"And I'm with you—"
"And in this world that's more than enough—"
"Better than food on the table—"
"Better than any diabolical plot—"
"Better than arrows —"
"Better than ice—"
"And will always be this way." The cuddled close in the alley way and they were each other's shelter for the night. They're own safe haven.
"The truth is never far away
You always give yourself away."
"Cam—ron, Cameron," she whispers but she doesn't know why.
He won't even look at her and his head is bowed to the door, breaking away the ice that covers it and with every punch he sends to the wall the noise makes a shattering sound that reverberates off the walls like breaking glass and all she can feel is this overwhelming guilt so thick that it feels like her hands will never be clean of it.
"Cameron," her whispers fall on depth ears, swallowed up by the echoing noise of the room.
He's still beating at the door with everything he has left in him and his punches are increasing with each second and his teeth are now gridded like he wishes he hadn't even tried.
"Cameron,"
She used to tease him for having a unisex name, and would often call him Cammie just to piss him off, but Cameron always sounded better. He was Cameron and he was the only on in the world allowed to have that name and it shined with a sort of indifference that was striking to her.
"Cameron . . ." Her voice tangoing with some deeper human impulse that she could never rid her of and she's choking on his name with the sheer lack of air in her lungs.
"What?"
She goes still and realizes the breaking glass is gone and he is staring at her with a shocked expression like he's witnessing firsthand the eighth wonder of the world.
Something warm and wet slips down her cheeks and she chokes on a breath the size of a watermelon and she gasps at the visible blow it sends to her lungs.
Maybe this is the eighth wonder.
"Through open eye, its slide of him
Won't you reveal to me?"
Somehow crying turns to sobbing and sobbing transits to hysteria and Cameron is holding her to him and he's cold and warm and solid and there and she can't uncurl her fingers from the back of his shirt and he doesn't seem to be willing to let her go either.
Her head hurts and she can't remember why she's crying.
Why is Cameron holding her?
It doesn't matter, she doesn't want to move.
Cameron's fingers run through her hair and she's rubbing his back, feeling his shoulders shake a little too.
"Reveal to me . . ."
They sit up for the rest of the night and she answers questions as vaguely as she can. Cameron's eyes are on the choker at her throat and his finger reach up—cool and curious—to tap at the jewel that weights her neck like an anchor.
His fingers slip over the surface-wise delicate, velvet on her neck and slides to the back where the iron clasp keeps it firmly held aground her swanlike neck. Dick also knew how to pick out jewelry too, especially steel enforced will-not-break and magically-voodoo jewelry.
His nail taps that clasp and she grabs his wrist, halting him.
"Cam,"
He nods and rests his head against her shoulder like a weight was lifted from his shoulders.
"I missed you Artemis."
She leans back against the wall their sitting against and laces her fingers with his.
"I missed you too."
It wasn't until later, that she thought about Wally.
I'm living in the mind-set where I can say "screw you!" to all problems and enjoy my life. You know why? New Year's is tomorrow and it's party time! Hell yeah! My hands are shaking and I just ate (no joke) a whole bar of organic Fair Trade chocolate my teacher gave me for the holidays.
Life is good . . . except Artemis/Cameron/Wally thing I just started. Oh dear, this will be fun.
Loves and reviews,
~QueenVamp