Chapter Three

Wally watched as Artemis walked away, just waving over her shoulder, until Dick shrugged Wally's arm off of his shoulder.

"Sorry, but man." Wally low-whistled. "How do you know that girl?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Dick winked as they walked towards the closest cafeteria to meet Dick's girlfriend for lunch.

"Dude, seriously? You've got too much of the Bats in you." Knowing Dick, that phrase could mean anything. Dick may be in love with his girl, but he had a streak in him that made Wally a little suspicious, especially if he and Artemis had known each other for that long.

Dick grinned in response. "Okay, okay, we went to Gotham Academy together."

"Ah, a rich kid, huh?" Wally was thoughtful for a moment. "You know I didn't peg her as the type." Dick narrowed his eyes but didn't rise to the bait. As Wally loaded his plate, he couldn't help but think more about his mystery girl. Luckily, Wally was able to multi-task, piling nachos and burgers on his tray before joining Dick and a gorgeous brunette.

"Hey, Zatanna," Wally sat down across from the couple. She wrinkled her nose at his tray, and he shrugged in response. She shook her head, but she seemed to decide his eating habits were the least important subject on hand.

"Hey Wally, heard you had a night last night."

Ugh, did Dick have to tell everyone about Tigress? "Can we not talk about that? I'm trying to eat here." Wally scowled in response, but Zatanna laughed him off.

"Sure, sure, but you know you're going to have to get used to Tigress on the team. It wouldn't hurt to be nice to her."

"You haven't even met her yet. Just you wait, you'll see. She's vicious and rude and ugghh!" Wally glared at his plate, out of words.

"And hot?" Dick raised his eyebrow.

"I'm never telling you anything again." Wally started to fill his mouth again. He swallowed quickly and sat up a little straighter. "Speaking of hot…. Did Dick tell you we ran into his old friend Artemis? Now, that's a babe."

"Artemis, eh?" Zatanna turned to Dick. "What a coincidence."

"What?" Wally took a bite of his burger; well, he ate half the burger in one bite.

"Well," Zatanna replied smugly, "My new roommate's name is Artemis." Wally choked. What?

Dick and Zatanna both just grinned as Wally coughed. "C'mon," Dick replied, "Like I'd let any pal of mine just live in this city with a stranger. So yeah, maybe she was the only one sent the ad through the school's housing system."

"Were you just gonna hide her from me?" Wally pointed accusingly at his best friend. Dick chuckled and shrugged.

"Oh yeah, like it's a coincidence that you suddenly had a yearning for poetry."

Wally stopped mid-bite.

"Dude!" Wally suddenly remembered that Dick had suggested the course. I can't believe he manipulated me like that.

"What? I thought you said she was a babe?"

"Do you have to be a troll about everything though? Can't you do anything normal? Just introduce me to a girl."

Besides with a girl like that, it wouldn't have hurt to have Dick put in a good word. In fact, with a woman like Artemis, he'd need all the help he could get: Dick's, Zatanna's, god's and science's, at the least. Idly, he wondered if there were any spells Zatanna knew that would help him learn more about her, maybe find out if she had a boyfriend.

"Alright, alright, how about this—you can come help Zatanna move in and meet up with Artemis again. That's pretty normal, right?" Dick offered.

Wally nodded eagerly. Propinquity effect! If there's one thing Wally trusted, it was science. He dug back into his food, happy, not even noticing the glances Zatanna and Dick shared.

It'd been a long day for Artemis. First, that whole situation with Wally, and then two more back-to-back classes. It was almost 2 o'clock before she had a break, and she used that to meet with her advisor to try to switch poetry classes. She was hopeful that since it was just the first day that the class schedule would still be pretty fluid, but she wasn't prepared to be told that she'd be giving up a huge opportunity. Apparently, Professor Ruiz was a big deal. She taught one class a year, and it was always full. If Artemis dropped now, she'd have to wait until next Fall to sign up again, and there was no guarantee that she'd get in.

Like hell am I gonna let Wally of all people take this from me.

Artemis figured she'd just be more careful of her seating next time, and hell, maybe Wally would drop. He didn't seem like the studious type. Why was he even in Poetry to begin with? She snorted to herself. Probably to meet 'babes.' Well, he can just find another girl to flirt with.

Now she was starving, but she needed to get home. Her new roommate was supposed to be there at noon, and she didn't love the idea of leaving a stranger there by herself for too long. Artemis had wanted a place by herself, but there was only so much money she would take from Oliver, and this place was a good deal. Last year she'd abused the hell out of the zeta tubes so she could still live at home with her mom, but this year her mom had basically kicked her out, telling her it was finally time to get her own life. Artemis had tried to make a protest about money, and that's when Oliver had stepped in. Helpless, she'd finally agreed to move to an apartment in California, but insisted on a roommate. She was regretting that a little right now, even though it was surprisingly roomy for the price. Still, it was just one more person she was hiding her life from, and Artemis just didn't know if she'd made the right decision. Zatanna (what kind of name was that anyway?) seemed nice and all in her emails, but Artemis just wanted quiet and a place to decompress without trying to sneak out her own window.

So, she trudged upstairs, hungry and more than a little grumpy. Artemis stopped outside her door and took another deep breath. Remember, there's only one first impression and you have to live with this woman. She didn't want to be friends necessarily (that becomes a little complicated when you are, y'know, a costumed superhero with shady supervillain family members), but she wanted it to be easy. Maybe not friends, just friendly. Like co-workers. Artemis raised her hand to the knob but paused. Are those voices? She hadn't expected that. In fact, Artemis had specifically answered this ad because it said the girl was quiet. But she already has friends over? She pursed her lips.

Artemis opened the door to find a curvy brunette in stylish jeans and a deep blue blouse. She was one of those effortlessly chic women, her hair pulled back but still full and soft looking, her nails perfect in a deep burgundy and makeup that looked like it was out of an ad. So that's what someone named Zatanna looks like.

Zatanna seemed to be alone at first glance. Suddenly, though, the two last people Artemis expected to see came through from the kitchen. And they didn't look at all surprised to see her. Artemis' jaw dropped, which seemed to make them both grin.

"Well, Artemis, isn't this a pleasure?" Wally sidled up to her, a little too close. Artemis frowned at him and took a step back. You have got to be fucking kidding me. She didn't know whether to attack or run. Instead, she turned to her new roommate.

"Are these your friends?" She asked pointedly, her voice a higher than she intended. Zatanna bounded forward, shoving her way between Wally and Artemis, nearly knocking him over and ignoring his protests.

"Yeah, sorry." Zatanna beamed at her. "Well, kinda. Dick and I…know each other, and Wally, well, I guess he's just part of the package." Is nowhere safe? Artemis thought to herself as her roommate continued. "Anyway, I'm Zatanna, your roommate. Nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah, you too." Artemis looked around. She'd furnished the place minimally, with some second-hand chairs and a couch she'd picked up with Oliver at a second-hand store, but it looked very different now. Zatanna had brought rugs and pillows, and damn, is that a 75-inch TV? There were boxes around the couch and near the kitchen that had things like "Paintings" and "Lamps—Living Room" written on the side.

"So, Artemis, I guess we're gonna get that chance to hang out sooner than you'd thought." Dick laughed from near the entrance to the kitchen. Again, Artemis took in his lack of surprise. He'd always been a little troll and likely knew about this whole situation when they'd seen each other this morning. She furrowed her brow- what is going on?

"Uh, yeah, I guess." Artemis was usually quick on the uptick, but she just couldn't get used to what's happening to her. I need some protein. Or sugar. Preferably both. "I'm…gonna grab a sandwich." She maneuvered around Zatanna and Wally, past Dick, to the kitchen, totally missing Wally's grimace.

Artemis walked towards the fridge, but before she could open the door, Wally appeared in front of her. Wow, he's really not subtle with these powers, is he? To be honest, it was a miracle he'd never been caught.

"Hey, let me buy you something to eat instead," Wally tried to guide her away from the fridge, but Artemis refused to let herself be moved.

"No, thanks; I'd rather just eat something here." She tried to step around him, but he stepped in front of her again. Oh, my god is he blushing? Artemis was so distracted by the way his ears and cheeks were turning red that she almost missed what he was actually saying.

"Well, uh see," He pushed his hand through his hair and blew out a breath. "Okay. Here's the thing—I ate all your sandwich stuff." Artemis just stood there watching him for a moment before it hit her what he was saying, and she pushed him out of the way.

"ALL OF IT?" She shrieked, hauling the door open, only to see an empty meat drawer, empty space where her cheese had been. "I just bought that!" Stupid Kid Mouth, she thought angrily.

"Uh yeah, sorry. High-metabolism." He seemed sheepish, but Artemis wasn't fooled. She'd seen him eat whole pizzas without shame on TV. Even before she'd joined the team, Kid Flash's stomach was world famous.

"Uh-huh," she replied tightly. Artemis was on a limited budget, and that food should have lasted her for a couple of days.

"So, come on, there's a diner down the street. Let me grab you some great greasy food to fill you up." Wally pleaded. Artemis shook her head and sighed.

"Don't worry about it. I have some ice cream in the freezer." Not the best dinner, but it will work.

A pause.

"You ate that too, didn't you?"

"The ice cream was Dick's idea," Wally quickly threw his friend under the bus.

"Just the first bowl!" Dick objected from the living room.

Artemis sighed. "It's fine, it's fine. I have a protein bar in my bag."

Wally looked down, disappointed. "C'mon beautiful, you need more than that."

"I'm fine," Artemis snapped. The last thing I need is Wally of all people trying to take care of me. All she wanted was for this day to be over, and he was not making it easier.

He looked a little startled, and he replied quietly, "Oh. Okay. Sorry." Artemis watched his green eyes filled with hurt and started to feel bad, but when she turned around, she felt even worse—she hadn't realized they had an audience. Zatanna and Dick looked disapprovingly at her from the kitchen doorway before Dick cleared his throat.

"Actually, Zatanna and I were about to head to Target. She wants some wine glasses, and I wanted to check out the game section. Why don't you come with us, Wally, and we can replace Artemis' food?"

Wally looked at Artemis hopefully. Well, that's just replacing what he took, she reasoned. She nodded curtly.

"Sweet," he declared, surging forward to wrap Artemis in a hug, so fast that she didn't even have time to react. Dick and Zatanna shook their heads, and together they all headed out. Artemis stood in the empty kitchen just marveling for a moment. God, he's so warm. She rolled her shoulders, dismissing the thought.

What she needed was some archery. Artemis quickly ate her protein bar and grabbed her arrows from the back of the closet. Training always helped. And at least she knew Wally wouldn't be at the cave now.

Wally was staring at the candy aisle. Dick sauntered up to him, "I don't know if there's a candy that's gonna get you in Artemis' good graces."

Wally scoffed in response, "Everyone likes candy. What kind is the question…." He thoughtfully looked over the different kinds of candy. Hot Tamales? Those definitely match her personality, but she strikes me as a chocolate girl too…he grinned to himself. "Got it!"

Artemis got home around ten in a much better mood. M'gann had been practicing cooking when she got to the cave, and though burnt cookies weren't Artemis' favorite, they worked together on a pretty solid batch of brownies. Plus, she'd gotten in some good archery practice and even a sparring session with that hottie Superboy. It seemed liked there was something going on between M'gann and Superboy, but that didn't mean Artemis couldn't appreciate an attractive man. Plus, it was nice to hang out with someone who didn't pressure her. He was happy to just spar, to get out some frustration without all the talking. Artemis really pictured a beautiful friendship with them both. Not friendship, she chided herself as she turned the key for the apartment, friendly. Friendships could be dangerous.

The apartment was dark when she got in, so she flipped on the light. Woah. It looked nothing like the apartment she'd left. Paintings and photographs covered the wall, and there were new shelves, some with empty spaces, likely where Zatanna thought Artemis would place her own photographs. Fat chance, Artemis thought observing the rest of the changes. There were blankets covering the faded blue couch, comfy chairs and pillows throughout. In deep greens, reds, and blues, she had to admit it didn't just look nice, it looked, well homey.

Zatanna stepped into the living room. "Hey, sorry if I kind of took over."

"No, no worries. It looks…" Artemis struggled for a moment before ending limply, "…nice." Zatanna beamed before striding over. She was wearing satin sleep shorts and a tank top, but she still made it seem like a fashion show.

"Nice? It looks amazing." She gave Artemis's shoulder a squeeze. "We're gonna have a great time together, roomie. Hey, sorry about ambushing you too, with the boys. I just needed some help moving in."

"No problem," Artemis moved to sit on one of the armchairs Zatanna had brought. Oooh, yeah, I could get used to this. "I just wasn't expecting to see them. No one's fault."

Zatanna moved back towards the hallway to her bedroom. "Well, I have class tomorrow, so I'm gonna head to bed. Maybe we can have lunch tomorrow?" Artemis nodded and reluctantly pulled herself from the armchair. She started to head the opposite direction, towards her own bedroom when Zatanna called out, "Oh, Artemis?" Artemis turned towards her. "Wally left you something in the kitchen." Artemis hesitated. Her bed just seemed so tempting. "Hey, Artemis," Artemis raised her eyes to meet Zatanna's, "give the guy a chance."

If you only knew…Artemis sighed internally but made her way towards the kitchen. She turned on the light and wandered to the center. There, on the kitchen island, was a message. But instead of just a note, he had written SORRY, each letter in a different type of candy. The leftover candy was in Ziploc bags on the counter nearby. Artemis couldn't help it; she laughed. For a moment after, she just stood there grinning before taking out her phone and taking a picture. She walked around, taking a piece of chocolate and popping it in her mouth. She suddenly thought of an idea and grabbed the candy, moving it around and taking another photo. After, Artemis put back all the candy in its respective bags before turning out the light and walking to her bedroom.

She sat on her bed and rummaged through her backpack. Taking out a sheet of paper, Artemis quickly tapped the number into her phone, attached the photo, and hit send.

Wally hummed to himself as he started to get ready for bed. It'd been a good day—he hung out with good friends, and he'd met a hot girl. Just as he started to lay down, he heard his phone buzz. Ugh, what now. It was probably just Dick complaining about his dishes or something. He mentally debated getting up or waiting until the morning; after all, his bed was so warm. The phone buzzed again. Dammit, it'll just do it that all night.

Wally pulled the covers off and padded over to the shelf. He had a new message from an unknown number with a picture attached. He opened the attachment to see a photo of candy in the shape of the letters NP. His eyes widened. Wally had hoped to be forgiven, but a late night text? Hell yes!

"NP?" Wally sent back, even though he had a good idea of what she meant. He sat on his bed to await her response. A moment later, his phone buzzed again. She was so waiting for my reply. He laughed to himself.

"'No problem,' you geek." Wally grinned.

"I'm a geek? At least I'm not the stalker, texting in the middle of the night. I knew you couldn't resist my charm, beautiful."

"Whatever, dork. ?￢ﾀﾝ

"You just booty called this dork."

"Is this what you think a booty call is?!"

"Well, how else would you qualify it?"

"A thank you text. The opposite of a booty call. It's not even a phone call."

"Psh, semantics."

"Semantics? This is a text conversation! Words and their meanings are the only things that matter. Besides who even calls it a booty call anymore?"

"What do you call it?"

"I dunno, sexts?"

"Hmmm… I don't think it's a sext unless you tell me what you're wearing." Wally was definitely impressed with himself. Talking with her was just so natural and easy.

"Haven't you done the reading for class? We're supposed to be showing, not telling."

Wally sat up in bed. He'd been hoping to make her laugh with the candy, and her even texting him was beyond his wildest dreams. He couldn't believe she was actually flirting back with him, maybe more. God, I can't screw this up.

"Well, I wouldn't want to impede your education."

"Nor I you. What are you wearing?"

Wally gulped. For all his talk, he'd only had brief relationships in the past, nothing serious, and he really wasn't the "hook up" kind of guy. He'd never done anything like this before. But Artemis wasn't the type of woman you said no to. More than that, he didn't want to. He didn't know where this was going but he didn't want to stop now. He took a deep breath and took a selfie, making sure to get his topless chest in the photo. Without looking, Wally hit "send." Well, that's something I never thought I'd do. He held his breath as three dots appeared on the screen indicating typing. They disappeared, and he felt his cheeks redden. After what felt like hours, she replied.

"Not bad at all, West."

He breathed a sigh of relief and laid back down.

"Your turn."

"My turn?"

"You wouldn't leave a guy hanging, would you?"

"So you really want a picture?"

"Not if you don't want." Wally really really wanted a picture, but he also didn't want to pressure her.

"Well, I guess fair is fair."

Is she serious? Before Wally could reply, he got a notification about a new message. That was fast.

He opened up his messages, and scrolled down to the photo. There was a picture of Artemis, fully enveloped in sweats. She was wearing an oversized Gotham Academy sweatshirt, zipped up. But more than that, she'd pulled up the hoodie and pulled the drawstrings closed so the only thing visible was some yellow hair sticking out and her mouth, which was in open in a yell, her tongue sticking out. It was the least sexual photo he'd ever seen. Wally loved it. He started cracking up.

"Now that is hot, Artemis."

"You like?"

"I'm not sure I'm going to be able to sleep tonight thinking about it." He was still grinning and quickly saved the picture as her contact photo.

"Oh, what a shame. Well, sorry about it. Meanwhile, I've had a long day, so I'm going to bed."

"Sweet dreams, babe. ❤️"

"Sweet dreams, nerd."

Yeah, it'd been a good day. Wally stood up and pumped his fist in the air before plugging his phone back in on his desk.