Chapter Five

Wally slammed his fist at Dick's face, only to completely miss. Suddenly, he felt a kick from behind. He tumbled forward, trying to catch his balance, but ended up falling hard on his face.

"FAIL, KID FLASH." He heard Dick laugh above him and felt the cold mat below him. Dick nudged him with his foot. "Dude, get up."

"Whhhhhy," Wally whined into the mat.

"Because I don't know the last time someone washed that."

Wally jumped up, "Gross." He wiped his face.

"Wally, you have to stop sulking over Artemis."

Wally scowled as they their way to the benches to grab some water. "I'm not sulking. And certainly not over her." He'd seen her across from him in class, but even there she hadn't acknowledged him. He'd gone from hurt to angry pretty fast. Who was she to call me a puppy dog? She doesn't know anything about me. And a "player"? Wally wanted to confront her, but instead decided it wasn't worth it, ignoring her just as hard as she was ignoring her. Well, he was trying. It had only been a couple of days, and it was all Wally could do from marching over to her apartment to demand answers, and he spent most of Poetry class refusing to look at her (but he reasoned to himself, she was refusing to look at him, and he had been checking, so he knew). "I'm just bored. We haven't had a mission in like two weeks."

"Are you sure that's it?" Dick asked suspiciously. "You never even want to hang out with me and Zee anymore."

"Listen, I have enough harpies in my life without worrying about Artemis." Wally sneered. Just then Tigress and Connor walked into the training room. Wally nodded at her, "Like that one for example."

Dick grinned. "Heeeey, Tigress." He called. Tigress looked over and grinned, waving. Even though Wally hadn't even said anything, she looked at him and rolled her eyes. What the hell? He thought angrily. Wally was not in the mood.

"Hello to you too, Tigress!" He snapped sarcastically.

She narrowed her eyes. "And what are you doing here?"

"Me? I've been here; you're the one who hasn't been here in weeks. You know, for a subpar archer, you'd think you'd be getting in all the practice you could." Wally heard Dick suck in his breath, and Connor's eyes went wide. He wasn't sure why he'd said that—he knew she was an excellent archer, and while he didn't want to admit that to her, there was no reason to goad her.

Tigress took a forceful step forward, but Dick quickly stepped in front of Wally. "Don't mind him, Tigress; he's in a bad mood because some girl from his English class totally rejected him."

"Dude," Wally objected, "some things are private. Besides, she wasn't that hot." Dick stepped to the side, smiling. Connor shook his head and moved to the weight bench.

"Not that hot, huh?" Tigress cocked her head. "Well, at least she has the good taste to not be seen with you."

"Oh yeah, and what is your boyfriend like? Some jock that's all body, no talk?" Wally sneered.

Tigress smiled smugly. "Wouldn't you like to know? I mean, I guess I do have a type." She moved her gaze to Connor appreciatively.

Wally's temper flared. "You wish," he hissed.

Tigress winked and called out, "Hey Superboy, ready to spar?" Wally narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, here I come," Connor called out. He stripped off his t-shirt as he walked to the training mat.

Does he have to do that? Wally thought angrily. Everyone was fine wearing all their clothes while sparring. Though I wouldn't mind seeing Tigress in a little less… NO, he focused back on his rage.

It helped when Tigress smirked at Wally, jogging backwards towards the mat while calling out to Superboy, "I've been lazy lately, so today I really want to work up a sweat."

Doesn't she have any shame, Wally stepped forward, but Dick pulled Wally off to the side before he could snap back at her, "C'mon man, let's go get something to eat from the kitchen."

Wally waved him off, "You go. I want to see this."

Dick looked between Wally and his teammates, Connor and Tigress still circling each other. He stepped in front of Wally's view. "What's your problem? Let's just go."

Wally stepped to the side to get a better view, "What's my problem? She's the one trying to… fraternize with her teammate!"

Dick furrowed his brow, "And how is that different than you and M'gann?"

"Because…because, because it is!" Wally gesticulated wildly, facing Dick. They heard a thump behind them, and Wally whipped his head around. Dick stood watching them for a moment, before melting away into the shadows, shaking his head. Wally watched as Tigress moved out to meet Connor. Superboy, straight on? She's dumber than she looks. Just as Wally predicted, Connor ran at her as well. However, as Connor brought both fists down where Tigress should be, she jumped. Quicker than Wally believed possible, like the feline she was named after, slick lines. She flipped herself over his shoulders, and before Connor could turn around, she swept his legs out from under him. He landed with a thud onto his back.

"FAIL, SUPERBOY" the robotic training voice called out. Tigress stood, and from where Wally stood, he could appreciate her long ponytail and even longer figure. He almost wanted to clap, cheer her on, call out congratulations, it was such a skillful move. But then she laughed, a loud rasp that broke through his trance. Tigress stepped quickly over to Connor, offering her hand to him with a grin on her face. Wally glared, before turning on his heel and stomped out of the training room.

Artemis got up a little earlier than usual the next morning. Instead of her usual t-shirt and shorts outfit, she got a bit more creative, wearing a tight blouse that showed off her cleavage and a short A-line leather skirt with kitten-heel boots. She lightly curled her long hair before applying some basic makeup, including pink lip gloss. She carefully lined her eyes and used shadow to make them pop. Not that hot, huh? She thought to herself smirking. We'll just see about that.

Artemis moved to the kitchen to drink her morning smoothie, only to find Dick and Zee making breakfast. When she walked in, Dick gave a low whistle.

Zee lightly swatted him with the spatula in her hand. "Hey, you can't catcall my roommate. That's just basic etiquette. No matter how hot she looks." Artemis blushed. "Why are you all dressed up at 10 in the morning? It's a little much for class."

Dick smiled knowingly, "Unless you're dressing up for somebody?"

Zatanna clasped both hands together, around the spatula, "Oh, who are you dressing up for?" She leaned forward conspiratorially, "Is it Wally?"

Artemis pressed her lips together, "No, Zee, will you give that up?" Zatanna turned with disappointment back to her eggs. "But I am dressing up for somebody."

Zatanna turned back around excitedly. "I knew it! Who is it?"

"It's me," Artemis replied. Zee stuck out her tongue, and Artemis did the same back while Dick laughed. It was so cozy to sit here and tease each other, like… well, like friends. Before it got much later, Artemis grabbed her smoothie to drink on her walk to class and headed out.

They were having class in the art museum today in order to write ekphrastic poetry, which meant that there were no seats, luckily for Artemis, since she was running late. Well, late for me. She hurried into the lobby where the class was meeting. As the professor gathered the students, Artemis snuck towards the front. She could see Wally, his lean and strong runner's body and shock of red hair. Artemis saw her opportunity and swept by, flicking her hair behind her. As she brushed past him, she could feel the warmth that radiated off him, like a small sun.

She turned her head briefly, unable to resist, and was pleased to see that his mouth was open and his eyes were wide. Artemis turned back to the front, satisfied, a small smile on her face. That'll teach him who's hot or not.

Class had been torture. Poetry plus art? There was no science or math, it was all about "interpretation" and "analysis" and "feelings." And on top of that? Artemis had shown up looking like some sort of sex goddess. Wally had never realized how soft and thick her hair was or how long her legs were. And she knew it. She'd smirked at him, and instead of being annoyed, he was just incredibly, incredibly turned on. Something he was learning about himself was he liked a challenge. The class had been given free range to wander the museum and write about art for most of the class, but he had used the time to watch Artemis. She had almost caught him twice, but he wasn't Kid Flash for nothing.

Now he was at home, hours later, still thinking about her tilted head as she examined sculpture or the way she tapped her fingers when trying to think while she wrote. And he was laying on the couch, staring at a blank TV, eating deli turkey out of the bag, frustrated and…well, frustrated.

Wally heard Dick coming in from the front hall but didn't bother to get up.

"Well, well." He heard Zee's laughter from above him. He snapped his head around.

"What are you doing here?" Wally frowned.

Dick appeared beside her. "Hey, I'm allowed to have friends over." Wally rolled his eyes and turned back to the tv.

Suddenly, he felt the pillow go out from under his head. "Hey!"

"What is wrong with you?" Zee hit him with the pillow.

He rolled over, putting his face in the cushion. "Nothing." Wally heard Zatanna sigh and walk over to the couch and felt the cushion sink as she sat beside him.

"Does this have anything to do with the way Artemis looked this morning?" She asked gently. He rolled back over to glare at her.

"No, like I could give a shit about what Miss Thing wore."

Zatanna narrowed her eyes. "Good, because we're going out. With Artemis." At that, Wally sat up.

"What?"

"Yeah, so maybe get dressed." Zatanna leaned in to take a sniff. She wrinkled her nose. "And take a shower. You smell like meat."

Wally was so affronted that for a moment he forgot his point. "I'm not going out with y'all. What, so I can be stuck talking to a woman with the personality of a cactus while y'all go make out in some corner?"

Zatanna flipped her hair and scoffed. "Please, if we wanted to go to a club to makeout, why would we bring you along for that? I want to go dancing with Artemis. You're coming to keep Dick company." She paused. "And as a DD."

Well, I could use a night out. And if Zatanna was being serious, he probably wouldn't even see Artemis except when they met up. Also, as much as he was protesting, he wouldn't really mind getting another eyeful of Artemis. It was a form of torture, but he couldn't keep himself from wanting to be around her.

Dick poked him in the back of the head from behind the couch, where he still stood. "Yeah, and who knows? Maybe you'll pick up a girl."

Wally perked up at that. "You mean you'd be my Night-wing man?" Zee groaned.

"Only if you never say that again." Dick replied. But Wally didn't care. He raced off to shower. It was only 8 pm—the night was young.

Wally felt good. He was wearing a green button down and dark jeans. Yeah, yeah, he was no fashion plate like Dick, but he felt good. When he walked out, Zee whistled, and he spun around, giving her finger guns. She laughed, but nothing could dampen his mood.

"Why can you whistle at Wally, but I can't whistle at Artemis?" Dick protested. Wally stumbled mid-step.

"Because when I whistle, Wally gives me finger guns." Zatanna responded. "And Artemis is legit hot." Maybe he should have been insulted, but he was more focused on what Dick had said. He whistled at Artemis?

"Well, Artemis may be hot, but she could probably kick my butt." Wally frowned at that. Artemis could kick Dick's butt, could beat up Nightwing?

"What do you mean?" Wally asked. Zatanna and Dick's faces looked startled, like they forgot he was there.

"Just that she works out…" Dick fumbled. "And besides, I can't exactly go ninja on her, can I? Might be a little suspicious." Okaaayyy…Dick had been weird lately, and Wally wasn't sure he was going to let it go much longer.

"Anyway," Zatanna interrupted loudly, "Are you guys ready to go?"

By the time they got to the club, Wally was feeling even more antsy than usual. He hadn't decided what to do about seeing Artemis again. Should he ignore her like she'd been doing all week? Be the bigger man? Wally was starting to regret his decision to come at all, walking briskly as they headed inside. He hadn't been thinking straight, hypnotized by the way she seemed to understand art in boots and a leather skirt. His mind was hardly his own, he argued to himself as they walked through the crowd, how was I supposed to make a rational decision?

And there she was. She was in the same outfit this morning, but instead of light pink lips, she wore a deep red, like an apple. Juicy, he thought to himself, then winced. But she looked luscious. She was wearing fishnets for some reason, and how was it she was waking so many fantasies he didn't even know he had? Artemis hadn't seen him yet, and he watched as her pursed lips sucked on the straw of a dark drink. Gulping, he shoved his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath, stepping forward towards her.

Where is she? Artemis sucked her whiskey and Coke quickly. Maybe too quickly, to be honest, but she was nervous. She had been flying high on the way Wally had looked at her when she had texted Zee and suggested a night out. Zee texted back, Yes before Artemis had even been able to blink.

But by the time it was time to get to the club, she had started to regret the decision, thinking wishfully of her warm bed. Oooh, and maybe a grilled cheese, she thought to herself wistfully. It was probably too late to cancel, she sighed. But still, maybe they could have a good time, and Artemis could even get rid of this antsy feeling she'd had all day. She looked around for her friend again, spotting Zatanna as she walked in.

The brunette was wearing tall stilettos and a tight purple dress. Her eyes were smoky, and she somehow walked with confidence in the impossibly high shoes through the crowd. Artemis waved, her energy renewed until she spotted the two boys behind her. Glimpsing that red hair, she quickly turned back to her drink, throwing out the straw and sucking it down. How can I find a hook-up with these two here?

Zee came up to her and gave her a squeeze. "This was such a good idea!"

"It was. Until you brought those two along," Artemis said in a low voice to Zatanna.

Zatanna turned to look at Wally and Dick who were just walking up behind her. "These two? I just brought Wally along to keep Dick company. The night's all about you and me, babe." She winked.

"Hey Artemis," Dick gave a small wave.

"Hey Dick," She replied. Artemis hesitated and then added tightly, "Hey, West."

Wally looked up from the floor and nodded at her.

"Well, let's say, I buy a round of drinks before Wally and I retire to a booth for him to make a fool of himself in front of possibly dozens of people today." Artemis grinned despite the slight disappointment in her throat, while Wally elbowed Dick hard in the ribs. The bartender appeared, like an apparition, which was almost the complete opposite of her experience with him, and Dick laid down his black card. "Just open a tab." Ok, Artemis thought, maybe having them here wasn't so bad.

Three hours later, her feet were starting to hurt. When she'd been getting ready at home, Artemis had traded the kitten heels for something a little higher, and now she could vaguely feel some sort of throbbing. However, Artemis dismissed the pain in favor of another drink as she wobbled towards the bar.

As she waited for the bartender to get her order, she considered her options for the evening. No girls had even dared approached them on the dance floor, no doubt intimidated by Zee, and all the guys had been…well, subpar. While Artemis waited on her drink, she scanned the club. Without realizing, her eyes found Wally, his hair turning purples and oranges under the lights. He had his shirt unbuttoned a little and she could see the beginning of his clavicle. Idly, Artemis wondered how many freckles he had on his chest. He was talking to a woman with slick black straight hair and long fingers wrapped around her drink. They were sitting together in the booth, looking very cozy. Artemis frowned to herself.

Suddenly, Wally looked up, and they locked eyes. She'd been spending so much time avoiding Wally, and especially avoiding looking him in the eyes, afraid to see the anger she knew she deserved. But instead, he was just so open. Yes, she saw frustration and hurt, too. But she also saw such a genuine guy. She sat there stunned, unable to look away until the woman he was talking with touched his arm, and he broke contact with Artemis. Frustrated, she turned back to the bar. She sighed to herself and took the double whiskey and coke from the bartender, dropping some singles in the jar. Artemis scanned the bar again, before turning to her phone. She'd never been the kind to look at dating apps, but tonight, she was tempted. Instead, Artemis just scrolled through Instagram. Zatanna had put up some cute photos and videos from the evening, and Artemis smiled, watching them dance together. Even if she couldn't find a hook-up tonight, she had had a good time. That was undeniable. She had just decided to call it a night when a guy sat next to her.

Artemis turned to him, ready to tell him she wasn't in the mood when she realized she knew him. To her surprise, Cameron Mahkent aka Icicle Jr. was sitting next to her. Artemis stiffened briefly before remembering he didn't know she was Tigress. To him, she was just an ex. Artemis didn't feel much better in that context, but at least they weren't going to throw down in the club.

"Hey baby, long time no see," he smirked at her. "And my, how you've grown." His eyes wandered over her legs up her body, pausing briefly on her breasts before settling on her face. Okay, maybe we are about to throw down in the middle of this club.

Artemis glared. "And some of us haven't grown up at all, it seems." She started to turn away from him, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Hey," She was surprised to hear his voice soften. "Sorry, if I came on too strong. I know we didn't end on a good note, but it really is good to see you again, Artemis. Let me buy you a drink?" She looked at him warily. "Just as a friend? Or as an apology?"

Artemis shrugged and sat down, indicating to the bartender that she'd have another drink. Cameron had the same and ordered them two shots as well. Those drinks must have been stronger than she thought if she was dealing with Cam again. But Artemis was not the type to turn down a free drink. And besides, if she was gonna deal with Cam, she probably needed something, whether it was to sip on or throw in his face, she wasn't sure yet.

He had broken her heart and her trust. They'd dated only dated for a few months, but it was the only real relationship she'd ever had, and when he cheated on her, it broke her heart.

Still, there was a reason they'd been together. Was it because they'd been forced together as kids? The only ship in a port type of thing? He'd graduated to Icicle Jr. less than a year after they broke up, but Artemis hadn't seen him, even as Tigress since then. Artemis was surprised to find that even though they were more like enemies than he knew, she couldn't work her normal anger at him. Maybe it was the endorphins from dancing, maybe it was the alcohol, but by the time Artemis and Cameron had finished their drinks, they were laughing together.

"Your dad is bad? Please, you don't have to deal with my sister!" She was joking with him, something she never imagined possible. Their drinks were empty, and she was considering ordering another one when Cam put his hand on her knee. Oh no. Listen, she was looking for a hook-up, but not with Cam.

Suddenly, Wally appeared beside her. e

"Hey, babe." He put his arm around her and brushed her cheek with his lips. Artemis frowned at him in confusion, but Cam's hand was gone. Wally turned to Cameron. "Hey, I'm Artemis' boyfriend." Artemis stared at him, too surprised to protest.

"Hey," Cameron stood up, shuffling a little. "I'm Cameron. We were just… catching up."

Wally stuck his hand out. "Well, it's always good to meet a friend of Artemis'."

Cameron looked Wally up and down, like he was considering whether it was worth the fight. "Yeah, nice to meet you too, man. But I'm a bit more than a friend." Artemis narrowed her eyes. What was this, some sort of pissing contest? Was she some sort of prize to Cam? She ground her teeth and silently reminded herself that if she kicked his ass in a nightclub, Batman would probably be pissed.

"Oh yeah?" Wally was being surprisingly cool. Before Cam could reply, Wally turned back to Artemis and cupped her face. Artemis' eyes widened, and she felt like time was moving slow. He moved with purpose and pressed his lips against hers gently. They were chapped, but warm and tender, and Artemis' hand went to his shoulder to steady herself. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb, and Artemis gripped his shirt. She opened her mouth in a happy sigh, and he swept his tongue across her lips. Suddenly, he pulled back. Artemis swallowed, a little dizzy, unsure if it was the kiss or the alcohol. She turned back to Cameron, almost having forgotten he was there.

Cam looked uncomfortable. Apparently, he decided it wasn't worth the fight. Downing the last of his drink, he shrugged. "Well, I'll see you around, Artemis."

She nodded at him numbly, still reeling.

As soon as he turned his back, Wally turned to Artemis frowning. "What were you doing?"

Clearly, all the good feelings Artemis had imagined during that kiss was just the drinks. She shoved his arm off her, glaring.

"What am I doing, you're the one with your arm around me, calling me your girlfriend, kissing me," she hissed.

He looked a little sheepish, "Yeah, sorry about that. But I thought it was better than throwing fists."

"You're lucky I didn't punch you." Artemis snapped back. Not waiting for an answer, she turned to the bartender, trying to order another drink.

"Oh no," Wally caught her wrist before she could get the bartender's attention. "You've had enough."

"Wally, you can't tell me what to do," Artemis snarled, "and you can't tell me who to talk to." She ripped her wrist out of his hand.

"I can if he's a bad guy!" Wally rebutted.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Cam's not a bad guy. He has some problems, but he's fine."

Wally narrowed his eyes. "Artemis just trust me. The guy is dangerous." You don't know the half of it.

Artemis snorted. "Dangerous? Please, so he has some daddy problems. Who doesn't?"

"How well do you know him?" Wally crossed his arms. "Wait, what did he mean by 'more than a friend'?"

"We used to date," Artemis shrugged. She wasn't proud necessarily of that part of her life, but she wasn't going to tell Wally that.

"You used to date?" His voice went high pitch suddenly.

Artemis frowned. "Yes, and I don't need you coming in like a white knight. I can handle myself."

Wally threw his hands up in disgust. "Oh yeah, fine, you can handle yourself. Whatever. Sorry, I tried to help you."

"Shouldn't you be with your date anyway?" Artemis pointed out, trying not to sound jealous.

"What date?" He looked surprised. "Linda? She's a friend from class."

"A friend?" Artemis snorted again. "Yeah, right." She pulled her shirt down a little so more of her cleavage was showing, batted her eyes, and simpered. "Oh, Wally, you're so funny." His eyes widened as he looked down at her chest and then back to her face. She reached out to touch his arm, laughing mockingly before deadpanning, "Gross."

Wally narrowed his eyes. "It wasn't like that. Besides, you can talk. That guy Cameron was all over you!"

"So what, Wally?" Artemis crossed her arms defensively. "I came here in order to find a hookup."

"And you were gonna go home with that guy?!" His voice went a little high again.

"So what if I was? There aren't a lot of options out here." She hadn't really planned on going home with Cam, but there wasn't much point in telling Wally that.

"Well, sorry I ruined your great plans for lousy sex," he replied flatly.

"You should be." She stood up, a little wobbly. Her feet didn't seem to hurt anymore, but she couldn't feel them so great either. "And believe me, no sex with me is bad sex."

For once, Wally ignored her opening, reaching out as if to steady her, but not quite touching her. "Artemis, are you okay?"

She waved him off. "I'm fine."

Wally watched her as she took a last swig of her melted drink. "You know what, let's grab Zatanna and Dick and just head home."

Artemis looked around and spotted Dick and Zatanna in a booth making out. She smirked. "It looks like they're still having a good time."

"Well, they can have a good time at home."

"No." Artemis crossed her arms again.

"Artemis, let's just go. You're drunk."

"And what about it? I came here to have a good time, and you owe me a good time."

"What?"

Okay, that's insulting. "Not like that, West." She glowered at him. "But you owe me at least one dance."

"No, no way."

She stepped a little closer to him. "I have all this excess energy now, thanks to you. So the least you can do is dance with me before we go." He wavered, and she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the dance floor.

"Just one," Wally shouted over the increasing volume as they got closer to the dance floor. She waved her hand in acknowledgement.

Oh man, this is a bad idea, Wally thought to himself, as Artemis dragged him along. It was easy to find a reason to break up her and Cameron—she shouldn't be involved with a guy like Icicle Junior for god's sake, and it took all he had not to change into his uniform and kick his ass right there and then when he saw Icicle Junior's hand on her knee. He had quickly said goodnight to Linda, slipping the napkin with her number on it into his pocket, and shed over there. But this? Touching and dancing with her? Wally tried to remember all the reasons he hated her, but it was hard, watching her long legs suddenly so confident as she pulled him forward.

And woo, boy, that kiss.

That had been a mistake, and he was honest, Cameron was just an excuse. She was so gorgeous, and he'd been watching her all evening, full of energy, dancing and laughing with Zee. Wally had hoped a little that by kissing her, maybe he could get it out of his system. But it was all he could do to pull away. Her lips were soft, and when she breathed into him, he could imagine kissing her forever. The taste of whiskey on her tongue reminded him that she was not in the right state of mind though, and the way she'd snapped at him reminded him that she didn't feel the same way. Still, when Artemis insisted on dancing, he couldn't really resist. It was like he was addicted to her torture.

She pushed her way to the middle of the dance and pulled him closer, still not turning around. Wally wasn't an expert dancer, but it didn't seem to matter—she was taking the lead. Artemis guided his hands to her hips, where he held them flat against her hipbones. Together they moved in rhythm with the beat, her long hair swishing along. She reached up to move it to one side, exposing her neck, and it took all of Wally's strength not to lean down and kiss her right there.

Artemis moved her hands up to touch his hair from behind as she danced and then slinked down, rubbing her body against him. He could feel her tight muscles along her sides as his hands ran up her torso. She came back up, grinding into him, and he gulped at the sharp desire that rocked through him. She danced with him for a few minutes before moving to slide down again. This time as she went down, he moved his hands to the bottom of her skirt, so as she moved downward, his hand pulled the skirt up, just a bit. He pressed his fingers into her thighs, imagining for a moment ripping those flimsy fishnets. He moved his hands back to her hips as she slid up again, but now when she moved to grind into him, he pulled her even closer, snapping their hips together. He thought he heard a strangled gasp as she turned back around to face him.

She slung her arms around his neck and fit his leg between hers before drawing him close. He could feel the warmth from her center and placed his hands on her ass, moving to the beat with her.

After a few agonizing moments, Artemis reached up and whispered in his ear, "Ready to get out of here?" He felt her breath on his neck, and nodded, closing his eyes briefly. He swallowed and turned around, and this time, it was Wally dragging Artemis. If he could think straight, he'd be almost proud that he had the restraint to not use his speed, to not just pick her up and run her to her place and throw her on the bed.

As they exited the building, the crisp October air hit Wally full in the face, and he was struck by realization. What am I doing? He asked himself as he looked at the girl beside him. She was no longer wobbling, but she was still clearly inebriated. That's the only way she'd want you, Wally, as a drunken last choice. He frowned to himself and pulled out his phone.

Artemis slid beside him, "What are you doing?" she slightly slurred.

"I'm going to text Zatanna and Dick, see if they need a ride home too."

She raised an eyebrow. "Kinky. But I thought maybe it'd just be us tonight." Artemis purred.

"Artemis." Wally took a deep breath. "You're drunk."

She took a step back. "Not that drunk."

"Drunk enough."

"Enough for what?"

"Enough to be too drunk to do this," he explained exasperatedly.

"You know what," she hissed, "fine. Don't worry about it, West. I'll find my own way home." She turned to go, but Wally stepped in front of her.

"I don't think so, Blondie."

"Get out of my way, Baywatch." She growled. Baywatch? He blinked at her. Who had told her that nickname? Only one person called Wally Baywatch. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone buzzing. He held his hand up to her, and she tapped her foot, her arms crossed again. He tried not to stare at her revealing top, instead turning his attention to the new message he had just received. "Well, who is it? Linda from class?" She snapped. "If you have a better offer, just go. I don't need you to make sure I get home safe like some after school special."

"It's not Linda." Wally sighed. "And it does look like you need me to take you home." He slid his phone in his pocket. "That was Zatanna. She and Dick headed to our house."

Artemis blinked lazily and leaned in a little, "So it'll just be you and me, huh?"

He swallowed. "Yes, but we're just going to go home. Nothing else."

She smirked and began walking to the parking lot, calling over her shoulder in a sing-song, "We'll see."

At least the ride home was uneventful, Artemis quickly falling asleep in the passenger seat.

Artemis woke as two arms came around her to pick her up. She snuggled deeper as Wally seemingly effortlessly carried her upstairs.

"Hey," He said softly, "I have to put you down."

"No," Artemis held on tighter.

"Artemis, I need to unlock the door. Where are your keys?"

She sighed. "In my pocket." He put her down, but she refused to open her eyes, instead slumping against the door frame, trying to stay as close to sleep as possible. When she didn't move, Wally reached inside her skirt pocket and pulled out a small wallet, a phone, and a set of keys. He quickly unlocked and opened the door and picked Artemis back up.

Wally carried Artemis to her bedroom, stepping in for the first time. She kept her room fairly neat, but there was evidence of her indecision this morning strewn about—skirts she had tried on and dismissed, several open lipsticks, a blouse or two. Wally made his way to her bed, carefully stepping over her gym bag, and set her down in the middle of the bed, on her dark green sheets. He watched her for a moment before backing away.

"Wait." Artemis sat up, shuffling towards the end of the bed.

"What?"

"I can't go to bed like this." She tried to undo the straps on her heels, but her fingers were clumsy. "Ugggh."

Wally quickly appeared, crouching, holding her heel and taking off her shoe. She giggled, Like Prince Charming.

"What's so funny?" He grumbled, moving to the other one.

"You're the prince, and I'm the nobody." She tried to explain.

"The who?"

"The you-know, the girl. The girl in hiding, no one likes her until poof!" Artemis explained, animated.

"What are you talking about?" Wally sat back on his heels and frowned up at Artemis.

"Ugh, I know you know." Artemis stood up, and Wally followed her movements. She shimmied off her tights, and Wally quickly turned around.

"What are you doing?" He squeaked.

"I'm getting ready for bed." A thought crossed her mind. She went to stand behind him. "Unless, you know, you wanted to help."

Wally turned around. Artemis looked at him through her eyelashes. "Artemis."

"Yes?"

"I don't think this is a good idea."

Just like that, her mood soured. "Fine." She turned back towards her dresser and found some sleep shorts. "You know, it's all your fault anyway, Wally West. And all I'm asking for something we both know would be good." She rambled as she slipped the shorts on. "Can I get some help?" Artemis didn't turn around, just gesturing towards her skirt's zipper. Wally unzipped her silently, and she stepped out of the skirt after it fell to the floor. She stripped off her shirt and grabbed a hair tie, "Can you get me a tank top out of the closet?" Artemis flipped her hair upside down to put it in a knot. When she turned around, Wally was holding a blue tank top, staring at her, his eyes wide.

Well, maybe this won't be such a wasted night after all, she thought to herself. "See something you like, West?" She asked, closing the gap between them.

Wally took a step back. "Artemis, what happened to you?"

Artemis looked down for the first time and groaned internally. How had she forgotten that she had a large splattering of bruises across her torso, some yellowing already, some still dark purple, from her run-in last week with some robbers? She was with GA and it wasn't a big deal, but yeah, it wasn't exactly pretty. She snatched the tank top from Wally and pulled it over her head, covering the marks. "Nothing happened."

"What do you mean nothing happened?" Wally's voice was incredulous.

She sighed. "I like to work out. You know, with my…uncle and stuff."

"Your uncle did this?" Wally sounded skeptical.

"Yes, my uncle, Wally. We kickbox, things happen."

"That looks like more than a little kickboxing."

"Yeah, well, it's none of your business, is it?" She reminded him, crossing her arms.

"Artemis, even if you don't want to be friends, I still want to help you if you need it." Artemis could see the pleading look in his eyes, the pitying look. Directed at her. And it stung.

"I don't need your pity, Baywatch." She snapped. His eyes widened. "And I don't need your protection. Listen, I'm tired, and I'm drunk. I'm going to wash my face, so do me a favor, okay? Don't be here when I get out." She turned to stalk to her bathroom only to find Wally in her face again.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?" She put her hands on her hips.

"Don't push me away."

Artemis threw her hands in the air. "I don't know what you want, Wally. I try to sleep with you, and you reject me, I ask you to leave, and now I'm pushing you away."

He shuffled his feet. "Hey, you rejected me first."

"Great, we're even, can I go brush my teeth now?" Besides, I had my reasons, she thought to herself, though right now they were hard to remember.

"Artemis, can't we just—" he blew out a breath, "I don't know. Be friends?"

She looked at him warily. "Friends?"

"Friends. You know, text, hang out, not make our other friends hate us."

Artemis considered it. I don't have friends, but that wasn't exactly true anymore, was it? M'gann was her friend, Zatanna was her friend. Her head swirled. "I don't know, Wally"

"Uh, okay?" He looked down at the floor. Shit, she could feel the disappointment coming off him in waves.

Artemis sighed and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards her bed.

"What are you doing?" Wally protested.

"Friends watch movies, right? Let's see if we can just, you know, hang out for a little while." Artemis gestured at the TV on her dresser.

"Oh," he replied sheepishly, "okay." He took off his shoes, and they sat together on her bed comfortably, leaning against the headboard and facing her dresser. There weren't a lot of things Artemis splurged on, but a queen-sized bed was right up her alley. Artemis flipped on the TV, switching channels until they got to one she liked.

"Seriously? This?" Wally balked.

"What? It's a classic," Artemis argued.

"Jurassic Park is not a classic."

"What are you talking about? Look at the dinosaurs! Jeff Goldblum being all sexy, BD Wong being sexy and evil."

"The science is so fake! You can't just create dinosaurs from their DNA pulled from a mosquito."

"Your problem is the science?" Artemis started laughing.

"It's so unrealistic," Wally protested.

"You are such a geek, Wall-man!" Artemis hit him with a pillow. Laughing, Wally grabbed the pillow from her.

As they settled back in to watch the movie, Wally turned to Artemis.

"Hey."

"Hmm?" She turned towards him.

"Why did you call me that?"

"Call you what?" Artemis frowned.

""Wall-man.""

Shit, Artemis thought back. Had she really called him that? Was she drunker than she thought?

"I don't think I called you that."

"Yes, you did," Wally insisted. "And earlier, you called me 'Baywatch.' Twice."

"I don't know…" Artemis shifted away from him. Shit, shit, shit. "From Zatanna probably."

"Zatanna never calls me that," Wally refuted.

"Maybe to your face," Artemis tried to keep her voice light, her eyes on the TV screen.

"Okay, whatever." Wally still sounded skeptical, but he didn't push it. They continued to watch the movie, Wally whispering about the scientific inaccuracies until Artemis fell asleep.