Chapter Ten — Follow You Into The Dark
"Life I tell you, would be impossible without you."
Though she was alone in her quarters and in nothing more than a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt she had long ago stolen from Wally, Arley still had her glamor charm wrapped around her neck. Arley had her feet tucked under her bed as she did sit ups; the undercover Lantern was ready to find the biggest of Manta's henchmen and demand he spar with her if only so her mind wouldn't wander.
Fifty-two. Fifty-three. Fifty-four, Arley counted in her mind.
It was easier to keep the memories of war and bloodshed at bay when Aniell had shared her mind— the ring helped keep the Lantern thinking of other things —and Wally had been there to kiss her demons clear from her mind.
Fifty-nine. Sixty. Sixty-one.
It had been easier not to lose herself when she hadn't been trapped in a submarine, hundred of miles below surface level.
Sixty-five. Sixty-six. Arley paused on her sixty-seventh sit up when a quiet knock came from her door. Only one person knocked like that; Manta never waited after he knocked before he barged in and the toppers knocked like they were police executing a search warrant, loud and rough. With a small smile Arley wrapped her arms around her knees,
"Come on in Kaldur." The door slowly pushed open and the Atlantean peaked his head in first; Arley shot her friend a funny look. "I'm dressed you freak," Arley laughed, "I wasn't going to invite you in if I wasn't."
Kaldur stepped into the room with a coy smile; "You can never be too sure," he joked.
Karen had accidently done that to Kaldur once. Karen had been intent on surprising Mal and jumping him when he walked though the door when Kaldur— who had come by her dorm unexpectedly because she was late with mission reports —had knocked on her dorm room door. Karen hadn't thought that anyone else but Mal had been on the other side and told him to come in. Apparently Mal had heard Karen's cursing from where he had parked his bike.
Kaldur rested his back against Arley's door, his hands were crossed behind him.
Arley rolled her eyes, "Whatever-anyway what's up? Does Manta have an assignment for us?"
"No," Kaldur said, "But we are going to shore in a few hours time. My father—" Kaldur pauses at the word, his lips pressed together and Kaldur looked as if he was evaluating what had just come out of his mouth, "—He has business to attend to." Kaldur stepped forward with an outstretched hand and Arley got to her feet when she noticed a piece of paper in Kaldur's hand. With a quizzical gaze Arley took the paper and saw that it had the name of a motel and a number underneath it.
Arley turned the page over in her hand to see that there was nothing written on the back.
"We will be docking in Santa Cruz," Kaldur told her and Arley's heart leapt to her throat as she looked at Kaldur with wide and hopeful eyes. "I have taken the liberty to secure you a motel room." Kaldur lowered his voice to a whisper, "I'm sure if you call our friend he will meet you there."
The paper crinkled under Arley's grip.
She hadn't expected to see Wally until after the mission was over and the Light and Reach had been brought to justice; Arley's heart soared in her chest. "Thank you," Arley whispered, Kaldur waved her off.
"It is nothing, I will be meeting with our other friend a few rooms down," Kaldur admitted; Arley nodded. "But if my father or anyone asks—"
"—You were with me all night long," Arley cut Kaldur off with a smirk. Kaldur blew a chuckled breath of air out of his nose.
"Exactly." Arley tipped her head back and peered up at Kaldur,
"Manta-he's not going to give me the shovel talk right?" Arley asked, "Hurt my son and I'll come after you with laser eyes; I'm not sure I can stay straight faced if he does." Kaldur's teeth flashed as he smiled at Arley,
"No he will not," Kaldur chuckled, "I'll come back here to meet you when the ship nears port." Kaldur went to turn when Arley caught his wrist in her grip. With a quirked brow, Kaldur looked at Arley, silently asking why she had stopped him.
Arley had the note with the motel's name and room number crushed in the fist she had curled to her chest; "I-thanks Kal, seriously," Arley told him, "You don't know how much this means to me." Kaldur smiled easily at her.
"It's no problem."
…
The National Nine motel rooms were eyesores; if you looked up the definition of blight in the dictionary you'd find three definitions, one of them would simply be a picture of the motel room Kaldur had booked for Arley and Wally. The rooms walls were paneled white and blue, the dark worn out carpet looked to be older than Arley's retirement age Phycology professor and the cheap fabric that made up the bedspread was a bright and gaudy pink and yellow.
The end of the Weekends new song Starboy played lowly over the motel rooms radio. A fan stood stationary in the corner of the room and Arley, as she waited on the edge of the bed for Wally's knock, counted the burn marks in the carpet.
There were six in total.
Arley's fingers drummed along her exposed knees; slowly they trailed up until the pads of her fingers danced along her bare throat. Arley's overnight bag and glamor charm rested on the other side of the room on top of the scuffed up dresser that looked to be as old as the carpet.
Quietly the radio host said that Closer, the Chainsmokers new song featuring Hasley was up next when a fast rapping sounded knock came from the door. Quickly— forgetting that anyone could be on the other side of the door and that she was a supposedly dead girl in nothing more than a stolen tee-shirt and underwear —Arley jumped up from the edge of the bed and moved across the room so that she could throw the motel rooms salmon colored door open.
Wally West, in a dark green tee-shirt and with his goggles still over his head sucked in a sharp breath when he saw Arley, and Arley, who had one of her hands still wrapped around the doorknob and the other around the wood of the doorframe froze.
For a moment it seemed as if the world itself had frozen; as if time itself had stopped. Arley's heart pounded in her ears; Wally, she thought with a breath, He's here and he's real.
Wally's hair had grown out; his skin had tanned and the freckles that dotted his nose had become more apparent as they always did around summer. His emerald eyes sparkled as he looked at Arley. Gently Arley's hand moved from the doorframe and went to cup Wally's cheek; when Arley's open palm made contact with the warm skin of Wally's cheek it seemed as if time had started back up because the speedster suddenly sprung ford, his arms wrapped around Arley's neck has his hands cradled the back of her head as his lips modeled themselves against Arleys.
Wally's googles flew off of his head as Arley stumbled back into the room; her hands fisted the fabric of Wally's shirt.
Wally's long leg kicked the motel room door shut with a loud and resounding bang. Arley pressed herself harder against Wally and Wally's fingers threaded themselves through Arley's hair so that he could tug her closer to himself. The pair were flushed against one another and yet, after two months away from each other, it wasn't close enough.
A borderline obscene moan left Arley's mouth as Wally's tongue traced her bottom lip; the back of her knees hit the edge of the motel's bed. If Arley stayed upright it was only because of how tightly Wally West had wound his arms around her.
She missed this; she missed him.
Wally's hands untangled themselves from Arley's dark hair. They trail down her back and move to her hips, which Arley kept nudging against his clothed groin. Arley lets out a whimper as Wally's lips move and begins to leave a trail of molten hot kisses down to her neck; his tongue flicks out when he finds her pulse and Arley arches her back. Wally bared his teeth and grazed them softly across her skin.
"Wally," Arley groaned; more, she needed more of him. All of him. That have the rest of the night to take it slow— to do it right —but in that moment all Arley wanted was for Wally West to fuck her like the horny, kiss-drunk college students they were.
Arley's hands that had been fisted in his shirt started to pull at the fabric, lifting it until it's up and over Wally's head and thrown haphazardly across the room. Arley didn't wait for Wally to start to pull at her own shirt before she threw it off too; her fumbling hands— as Wally's trail up from her hips and cup the undersides of her breasts —found the belt that'd been secured around Wally's waist and yanked it from his jeans, sending it too to the floor with a clunk. When she tugged his jeans down the curve of his hips, Wally— whose lips are attached to the expansion of skin just below her left ear —begins to lower her onto the monstrous looking bedspread.
Wally, as Arley pushed herself back further onto the bed followed after her and with a flick of his fingers the only non sports bra Arley's brought undercover with her is snapped open. The black straps of her bra fall down her arms and the undercover hero pushed them down her arms and off of her; Wally pressed a searing kiss against Arley's lips and for a moment, the undergarment is trapped between them.
Wally brought his hips down, the speedster settled in the center of her open legs so that his erection was pressed right up against the seam of her underwear. Arley threw her bra to some part of the room; far, far away from them.
"Fuck me," Arley panted, Wally's forehead is pressed against hers as he grinded their hips together in a mind fogging way that made the Lantern's blood ignite. She hadn't forgotten what being with Wally was like— it'd only been two months —but she had forgotten exactly how he made her feel; she'd forgotten the impatient burning and the half crazed thoughts he made flood her sense. "Please Wally, please." She begged.
"Okay," Wally breathed with a smile. Wally drew away to drag her old, cotton, polka-dotted underwear off, almost as if he were savoring the way it slid down her legs, "Any-anything for you Glowstick." And then he's off of her completely, it'd only been for a second so that he could rummage around the pockets of his pants but it'd been a second long enough for goosebumps to appear over Arley's heated skin.
Wally was back on her a second after that; his underwear is heaped together with his jeans. Wally hooked his hands behind Arleys knees, bringing them up on either side of him as he lowered himself. Impatiently, Arley opened them wider, her lips puffy and eyes lidded with desire.
She loved him— Arley loved Wally more than in the air in her lungs; Wally took a couple fingers and languidly ran them up her exposed skin —but she'd strangle him to death if he didn't get inside of her that very minute.
"Wally," Arley pleaded only for her jaw to snap shut when he pushed a finger inside of her. Her hips twitch when he enters another finger.
"I know Glowstick," Wally cooed; Arley's chest sputters at the nickname. She missed hearing it and for the life of her Arley couldn't remember why she had ever used to protest the embarrassing name. Slowly— drawing out every motion just to drive her crazy because he knows he can —he pulls his fingers out; swiftly though, he flips her over onto her stomach.
A thrill shoots up Arley's spine as Wally rests on his knees between her legs; now with her back to him. With a waton whimper he pulled her toward him with her hips. Arley can feel Wally place himself against the curve of her ass and she pushes back against the speedster; they both breathe in sharply at the sensation.
Perhaps it had only been two months but two months was longer then they had ever gone since they'd started having sex.
Wally pushed her loose hair aside to lick a line up her shoulder to her throat; the speedster nipped at the skin before allowing his tongue to press flatly against the abused mark. All while teasing at her clit with his index finger as he did so. Arley let out a loud, pleasure filled cry as he pinched it gently between his fingers.
"Fuck me!" Arley cried, her toes already curled in anticipation, "Please Wally, please!"
And he did; Wally plunged inside her Arley collapsed, and she would have fallen against the hideous, crinkled bedspread had Wally not used his other arm to wrap around her waist like a lifeline, drawing her back flush against his chest.
Wally— truly a speedster —set a pace so hard and fast that Arley cried out with every thrust; completely forgetting that their friends were several doors down and that any number of strangers could be in the rooms surrounding them. Arley reached overhead to tangle her fingers in his red hair, needing something to hang onto as he plowed into her.
Wet dripped down Arley's leg and Wally dampened his fingers with it before bringing them back to the bundle of nerves. He swirled his fingertips over her clit with leisure, a pace completely at odds with the way he moved inside her.
Arley's thighs shook on either side of Wally's and Wally moved his arm from her waist to her clavicle allowing Arley to arch away from him; Wally moved the hand that had been toying with her to the small of her back, arching her more and for a second, Arley could have sworn she saw stars.
"Nortz," Arley cried, the grip she had on Wally's hair tightened; "Oh Nortz!"
"I missed you," Wally growled into her hair, unable to stop himself. Wally straightened himself as he pulled out slowly and slammed in again. Arley lets out a whimper as she turned her head to look at him; her hands were still tangled in his hair and the supposed dead hero brought the speedster down for a teeth-mashing kiss.
When they pulled away from one another a thin line of spit connected them; it was gross and Arley's nose scrunched up at the sight of it, though a small smile played on her swollen lips. She let out a giggle that sent Wally beaming as he swatted the spit away; and when he moved back so that his face was once more buried into the crook of her neck, Wally picked up full throttle.
Arley's flown by stars— by suns —and she's felt the fire of ships prickle her skin as they went down in the heat of battle but there was a fire flooding Arley's veins as Wally continues to move in and out of her— faster and faster, harder and harder —that can't compare to burning stars or fiery ships.
"'M gonna-gonna cum," Arley sobbed. Wally's hand moved back to her core and with a shout Arley fell over the edge; Wally was quick to follow behind with rougher— sloppier —thrusts. His dancing fingers never left Arley's core as her back arched at an almost extreme angle and her legs shook violently beneath them.
Arley's fingers pulled at his red hair so hard the Lantern was sure it had to hurt; but Wally didn't complain as he continued to ride her; carrying them both over their highs until there's nothing left to chase.
Wally didn't collapse onto Arley as soon as he was done but he didn't pull out either; slowly, as they both struggle to regain their breathing and Arley untangled her fingers from Wally's hair, Wally buried his face back into the crook of Arley's neck, his arms wobbly bared his weight as he rested his forearms on either side of Arley's head.
"Best greeting ever," Wally murmured into Arley's hair.
"Yeah," Arley said with a laugh, "Sorry about jumping you Handsome. I missed you." Wally pressed a feathered kiss to Arley's neck; her thick dark hair matted the contact but nonetheless Wally grinned, his teeth pressed against her damp skin.
"Don't apologize, in fact I'd be happy if you always greeted me like that Glowstick." Slowly, and with a hiss, Wally pulled himself out of Arley; the speedster shifted his weight so that he could toss the condom into the trash the motel maids had set in between the wall and bedside table.
Wally slumped on the bed next to Arley; one of his arms tucked under his head while the other was placed softly on the small of her back.
Arley turned to look at Wally, her leg draping itself over his thigh, "Sounds pretty impractical to me Handsome, I mean can you imagine if I attacked you every time I saw you?" A coy smiled played on Wally's lips, his eyes— for a second —clouded over.
"Yeah and I've got to say babe," Wally teased as he inched his face closer to Arley's, "The more I think about it, the more I like it." With a snort Arley's fingers walked their way down Wally's bare and freckled shoulder, down his arm and to the hand he placed on the small of her back.
Arley threaded her fingers with Wally's; the undercover hero's brows knitted together when she felt familiar ring design on Wally's finger. Arley moved so that their hands were no longer behind her and instead held Wally's hand up to the motel room's white ceiling.
Arley's fingers retracted and curled into the speedsters palm as she marveled at his hand because on his ring finger was Aniell. Two of Arley's fingers— her middle and index —uncurled and stretched up; gently she touched the warm metal of her ring.
She missed Wally more than anything; but by Nortz did Arley miss Aniell. Arley missed her rings chimed laughter and the witty quips only something as old as a Lanterns ring could come up with. She missed never being truly alone.
"What happened to wearing her around your neck?" Arley wondered; Wally shrugged, his warm breath fanned the side of Arley's face. Arley could clearly remember her ring around the chain Wally had kept around his neck. Their hands lowered and the pads of Arley's fingers slowly began to trace the curve of Wally's cheek; Wally's fingers quickly became entangled in Arley's— knotty —hair.
"Dunno, just felt closer to you this way."
Arley arched a brow.
"Oh?" Wally's cheeks pinked and an almost sky smile played on his still swollen lips.
"When I miss you," Wally said candidly, "I slip the ring on and imagine our future."
She loved him; the air that swelled in Arley's lungs didn't seem like enough to help her breath.
"You do?" Arley whispered.
"Of course I do, I'm gonna marry you one day, Glowstick," Wally declared; he said it in such a way that there was no arguing. It was as if he had told her the color of the sky or the atomic number of bromine; irrefutable.
"Yeah?" Arley breathed. She could see it— their wedding —her and Wally surrounded by their friends and family in a few years time. She could picture herself dressed in white and being led down the aisle by Guy as Wally in a bowtie— because despite being old enough to drink and a certifiable genius Wally West didn't know how to properly tie a tie —stood waiting for her at the altar.
"Yeah, and I think about those kids Bart said we'd have—"
"—I want our daughter to be named after my mama," Arley said as she leaned closer to Wally, Bart had already— accidently —confirmed that one of their children would be named after her but still, Arley felt as though she needed to say it. The young woman blushed at the thought that escaped her mouth; "I mean, you know when we have one. I'd like to name her after my mom."
"Only if make her middle name Vivian," Wally bargained.
"Vivian?" Arley blinked; Wally shrugged.
"It's a nice name." It was, Arley thought; Maria Vivian West.
"What else do you see?" Arley asked, "When you think about our future, what else comes to mind?"
"Well," Wally started, "I know you don't want to leave the city—" it was true, Arley couldn't imagine living anywhere but a city, "—But I'm not raising our kids in an apartment so maybe we compromise. There's a bunch of homes in places like Fairfield."
"You really want a house," Arley mused and Wally grinned.
"Course I do, I mean how else am I going to give you a garden of sunflowers?" Arley's heart swelled; ever since she'd been a child and read the Basque myth on how sunflowers had come to be they had always been her favorite flower. Ever since she'd been a teenager Arley had wanted a garden of sunflowers; though she tended to kill every plant she came into contact with, something everyone who knew her liked to laugh at, because how ironic was it for a Lantern not to have a green thumb?
"You want to give me a garden?" With a hum Wally dipped his head forward and pressed his lips gently against arms,
"Babe I want to give you everything." Arley's head bobbed forward; kissing Wally once more she rolled them so that she was on top of him, her legs were tangled with his as she rested her weight on him.
"What else?" Arley asked, the tips of their noses touched, "How many kids do you actually see us with?" When Bart had shown up from the future he had alluded to the two of them having at least four. He had mentioned a Maria— like her mother —and a Rosie, he hadn't mentioned the others by name but he had made it seem like there was one or two more West children to be named.
"Five," Wally said. Arley couldn't help but snicker at the speedster.
"And who's carrying all those kids," Arley wondered, "You?"
With a grin Wally's eyes twinkled. Arley loved his smile; some people thought the best part of Wally West were his brains and other people thought his powers were what made him special— and they did —but to Arley Wally's smile could light entire cities.
"Twins run in the West family in case you forgot." Arley rolled her eyes, her smile though, only grew.
"Right-so five kids and a house; and Bodie, you can't forget him."
"No of course not, Bodie will have a dog house in the corner of the yard," Wally said, "And there'll be your garden and when you come back from missions—"
"—What if I don't?" Arley asked and Wally's face crumbled automatically, the speedster's elbows dug into the mattress and he pushed himself up; Arley straddled him, her hands braced his shoulders, his gripped her waist.
"Don't say that," Wally hissed, "Arley I can't imagine a world without you," Wally said visibly stressed from the idea of her being dead.
"I didn't mean like that Wally," Arley said softly. Her face pinched together and twisted, "What I meant was, if after this mission, when Kaldur and I come back up, what if that's it for me? What if I retired from the game?"
"You love being a Lantern though," Wally said and Arley nodded because she did, she loved the Corps; they were the first family she ever had, the first people to love her. Arley had— ever since she'd gotten her ring and made it through boot camp —always assumed she'd be a Lantern until the day she died.
"I do, but Wally, if the Reach isn't kicked off world I'm not going back to the Corps."
Wally's lips parted; "What, why?" The lengthy chapter in the Book of Oa flashed through Arley's mind.
"A long time ago-before the rings even started coming to Earth, the Reach and the Corps fought each other," it was more than just a fight, it'd been a bloody war that'd spanned centuries and claimed countless lives, "The Corps won, obviously but when the Guardians and the leader of the Reach signed a peace treaty an agreement was-well, reached. Lanterns can't stay-can't go to any Reach inhibited planet. Which means if they're not kicked off the planet by the time I can take back my ring then I won't be taking my ring back," Arley told him. "I won't live a life without you by my side Wally-if the time comes to choose between you or the Corps, then the choice is you."
Wally's brows knitted together.
"But Hal," Wally said, "And Guy and John and Katma and Kilowog-Arley they're your family."
"And so are you," Arley said; her hands moved from Wally's shoulders to his neck, she cupped the underside of his jaw. "Wally I love my dads-my family. I love the Corps," she stressed, "But when push comes to shove it's you. It will always be you."
Wally rested the back of his head against the motel bed's wooden headboard and looked at Arley like he was seeing the secrets of the universe; he looked mesmerized and confused but also totally and completely elated. He looked like he had just been told he'd won the lottery; he looked like a kid in a candy shop.
"How did I ever get so lucky to be with you?" Wally murmured before— with his lips pressed seeringly to Arleys —he rolled to the side and locked Arley underneath him. The Lantern felt the speedster start to harden against her; with half lidded eyes Arley smirked up at him.
"I don't know Handsome, I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one." And she was lucky to be loved by Wally West; kind and funny and smart Wally West.
Wally— completely forgetting the second condom in his wallet —bared down at Arley and pressed a toe curling kiss; and Arley, forgetting everything that she had learned in her sixth grade health class, pressed a breathless kiss against Wally West's lips.