Ok y'all this chapter will be longggggggg. It's a bunch of background and then finally what you've all been waiting for. Might be a little less fast-paced as concerns our "friends" from Arkham. Just don't forget about our antagonist. :P
Dick's mind raced for a moment as he tried to put the words together that he'd been waiting for years to tell this woman. He looked up at Artemis and sighed deeply and mentally said fuck it, "I took that selfie because...I liked you, ok goddammit I liked you. I guess I thought if you got to know Richard Grayson maybe I wouldn't have to make you like Robin, and then you wouldn't have to choose which one of my lives you felt you could handle. I mean fuck Artemis Z knew both and we dated for two years and couldn't make it work." He dragged his hands over his face as he kept pouring out his feelings, which made him want to curl up and just die. "I felt so bad for so long, having a crush on my best friend's girlfriend, I used to just push it down and try to forget, I tried dating Zatanna for a while ad to be quite honest she was way more into it than I was. I looked at that selfie a lot and honestly still do" he sighed as he took out his cell phone. Dick pulled up the selfie of him and Artemis at Gotham academy he had in a secret folder on his phone. "I kept this all years because I stupidly held out hope that one day you'd be mine and I know you're still with Wally. You're my best friend beside him and I don't want to lose you in my life I just...I had to tell you how I felt it was killing me inside". The last part of his sentence came out barely above a whisper, Then after what seemed like forever, he looked up at Artemis. Her mouth was still open in shock at Dick sharing his feelings, which didn't happen very often and partly because he has a crush on her all these years even during his relationship with Zatanna. Artemis had always assumed she was Dick's kryptonite, as she thought about a certain black-haired girl she felt a pang of jealousy. She tried to speak but no words came out at first, she shook her head then after probably 5 minutes she spoke. "Dick I honestly don't know what to say, I had some idea you had a crush on me when we first met when I joined the team but I always thought Zatanna had your attention then Wally caught mine and you know the rest. I just can't think right now I didn't tell you but Wally kinda...". She trailed off as now wasn't the best time to tell Dick this but she had to mow he had told her all of this. "The other day Wally really scared me, he confronted me and got really upset because he had suspicions that you were in love with me. He screamed at me when I said I didn't think you had feelings for me. Then he just left and vanished through the zetas and I even talked to Ollie, flash, and Batman the other day; no one's seen him in days". She looked back over at Dick and saw what looked like a mix of anguish, surprise, and shame. He sighed and looked back out over the cliff with looked like tears in his eyes, though she'd never let her see them. "I think there might be something between us Dick, I can't deny you're one of our best friends and all the stuff you knew about me and my family and never once judged me or let my secret slip. You're a really good guy I just have to figure stuff out with Wally and I really need to process what you just told me my head's spinning. Could we go back to the cave please"? Dick sighed and handed her her helmet and they got back on his bike. The whole ride back they both were lost in thought. Dick mentally slapped himself for getting vulnerable with the one girl he felt ok with letting see his softer side, he wished her words didn't cut his heart like a knife. You're a really good guy... He kept playing those words over and over and each time they hurt more and more. As Artemis clutched his torso that she swore was made of metal with how muscular it was, wait I'm obviously attracted to him I'm basically feeling him up as I hold on for dear life. She couldn't think like that she was dating Wally. She made a mental note to call him when they got back. As they pulled into the cave's hangar they both almost fell off the bike as they saw a very emotionless Wally West leaning against the wall near the doorway at the back of the hangar. Dick parked and Artemis got off and it wasn't lost on him how she ran to him. Artemis ran to Wally as he looked up at her with a look she's never seen on him before. He looked past her to where dick was parking the bike and then his face soured angrily as she turned back to her. "Where were you I looked everywhere I couldn't find you, so I waited here surmising surprise I find you with him. He spoke with venom in his voice that physically made Artemis take a step back. She then frustratedly replied, "you just left me here, and when not even Ollie, flash, or Batman knew you were so dick and I went to hang out while I waited for a call, text, or even a word you were ok from my boyfriend" she looked incredibly hurt. Wally clenched his fist and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His demeanor then changed to angry as he furiously whispered, "I was right wasn't I, you two ran off all day, probably on a date or something. Did he tell you he's head over heels for you yet, or is he saving that for right now". His whispers then turned to shouts. "Artemis you have to choose. You can't be friends with my best friend who's so obviously in love with you! It's either him or me". He finished and crossed his arms obviously trying to keep his anger in check. "Wally you can't expect me to have to choose between you and my best friend.." Artemis barely got out, still in shock and kind of scared at how he was acting. "I knew you wouldn't be able to". He said then turned to walk away. He turned back over his shoulder as he walked away, "oh yeah, we're done". Those words rocked her to her very core, she didn't know what she did wrong. She ran after him and grabbed his shoulder to get him to look at her, he wheeled around grabbed her shoulders, and slammed her into the wall. "WHAT DONT YOU GET ABOUT WERE DONE. I WON'T DATE SOMEONE WHO MY BEST FRIEND IS IN LOVE WITH!" He started shaking her angrily as he yelled at her, his grip on her shoulders starting to really hurt. Tears welled in her eyes as his fish clenched and began to raise. Artemis closed her eyes as her heart broke. "I'm so done with yo...". He didn't get to finish his screaming as all of a sudden his grip vanished and she opened her eyes and saw Wally on the ground with blood leaking from his nose. Dick stood over him menacingly. Wally stood back up and tried to walk towards her again. "I wouldn't do that Wally". Dick said in a voice she had only heard when he was Nightwing. Wally stopped and for a split second looked a little frightened but went right back to showing anger and got right up in Dick's face, "you know what Dick?" He spat with venom as dick didn't flinch. "Since I know you want her so bad keep her because we're through". He wiped his nose on his sleeve and in a blink was gone. Dick immediately turned and gathered Artemis in his arms and held her tightly to his chest as she couldn't hold back the tears any longer.