Artemis lay in her bed, curled on herself in the dark, eyes closed. A sliver of light came in.
"Hey," Zatanna called softly. "Are you awake?"
Artemis kept her eyes closed, unanswering.
"Artemis." Zatanna came in, and Artemis could feel her hovering above her. Eventually, Zatanna sighed and left, closing the door gently behind her.
Her phone buzzed at her feet. Then again and again. She kicked it off the bed to the floor. She knew it was Ollie or her mother. But she didn't want to talk to anyone. Her whole body ached. Apparently, being in a coma puts a lot of strain on you. She thought briefly of the hot tub at the Cave. But the last thing Artemis wanted to do was run into anyone. She stayed curled up for a long time. I did this. I was the weakest one. She heard J'onn say that they were set up for failure, but she was the first to fail. And more than anything, this just proved that love was a weakness. Because she did love M'gann and her team, and the way they loved her back? It was dangerous. And god, she couldn't even imagine what Wally had to say. He'd always said she was an inferior archer. If Roy had been there, this never would have happened, Artemis thought bitterly to herself. Wally hadn't even looked at her when they came out of the simulation, and Artemis could hardly blame him. She'd gotten herself killed and essentially gotten him killed too.
Eventually, she padded out to the kitchen for a glass of water so she could swallow some pills. She didn't even notice Dick sitting on the couch in the dark as she made her way through the living room until she flicked the light on. She started and squeaked, but he barely made a move.
"Hey," he said dully.
"Sorry," Artemis replied. "Do you want me to turn the lights back off?"
"No, it's fine." He wasn't really looking at her.
Is he mad at me? Artemis hesitated but decided against confronting him. If he wanted to be angry at the fact that she failed the team, she didn't exactly blame him, but she wasn't going to let him see that she agreed with him either. She was halfway to the kitchen when she felt two strong arms around her that knocked her forward. Caught unaware and completely exhausted, she stumbled forward two or three steps before she caught herself.
Gasping, Artemis tried to turn, to see what was going on. The arms loosened just enough for her to move, and she found Dick's hands, one on the back of her head, one around her arms. Her face was pulled into Dick's shoulder, and he held her close. Artemis tensed, but then relaxed, bringing her arms up around him too.
Finally, he let her go. He cleared his throat. "I just… I just am glad you're okay, 'Mis."
Artemis suddenly had flashbacks of Dick Grayson when she met first met him, cocky and small, but vulnerable. He wasn't Nightwing then, and yes, he was Robin (though she didn't know that then), but he was also a kid. And they'd been friends. There had been some distance after high school when Artemis had moved to Stanford, but she'd seen Nightwing on occasion with Green Arrow, the only other protégé she'd ever really interacted with. It struck her that that was because he already knew who she was. Those relationships had been merging for Artemis since she discovered that they were the same person, but now, at this moment, they truly came together. This was Dick, her oldest friend, and he was someone who cared about her, as Tigress and as Artemis.
She reached out and ruffled his hair but spoke gently. "You know me, birdboy. I'm always okay."
He gave her a small smile, but Artemis could see that he was still tired and thinking about what had happened that day. She sighed. "C'mon, I'll make you some tea."
An hour later, Artemis was thinking about those meds again. The tea had soothed her mind somewhat, and just being near Dick had helped too. But her back still felt like she had been hit by a truck.
Dick nudged her on the couch. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just a little achy." She rolled her head, then her shoulders.
"Why don't you hit the Cave's hot tub?" Dick asked.
"At like 2 am?" Artemis snorted.
But Dick shrugged. "Why not? That's what zetas are for."
She considered for a moment, but there was still too big of a chance to run into M'gann or Connor at this late hour, or even, she internally cringed, Wally. "Thanks, but I think I'm gonna pop a pill and try to sleep it off."
Dick was quiet for a moment. "Wally's not there."
She frowned. "I don't care if Wally's there or not."
Dick seemed to study her for a moment, and she resolutely met his gaze. "Ok." She turned her eyes to her now empty cup.
They were quiet for a moment, but then Artemis cleared her throat. "I thought he'd want to be close to M'gann tonight? For y'know, comfort?" She tried to keep her voice light, but she couldn't lift her eyes to meet his again.
"He's with his parents. Flash took him there."
Artemis nodded slowly. She stood up. "Well, maybe the hot tub wouldn't be so bad."
Dick grinned, that old Dick shining through at last. "Yeah, I didn't think it would be."
As Artemis tied her boots, she felt a squeeze on her shoulder. Dick was standing above her. "I'm really glad you're on the team, 'Mis. We all are." Artemis nodded; her throat tight. He seemed to understand.
When Artemis got out of the zeta tube, she couldn't help but think to herself, What am I doing? She really thought she was gonna go to the Cave, but somehow, she'd ended up putting in the code for Central City instead. Now she was walking quickly towards his house with no real plan in mind. She stood in front of his home, expecting to see a dark house. Even with the time change, it was late. But there was a light on in the second bedroom, and Artemis knew instinctively that that was his room. She swung up to the tree outside the window and peered in. Wally was bouncing a ball against the wall opposite him. She tapped quickly on the window and saw his face turn towards her. He was paler than she'd ever seen, and Artemis thought in alarm that something had happened. What's wrong with him?
He sped toward the window, opening it in one motion. "Artemis," he cried. She started to climb in, but he pulled her in at the same time. Their combined strength overpowered them, and she ended up falling forward, straddling him on the bed under the window.
Artemis grinned. "Well, this was a little fast, even for you, Kid." But he didn't laugh. Instead, he pulled her down in a kiss. It wasn't like how he'd kissed her before. This was full of… Artemis didn't know what, but some emotion, and he moved from kissing her to cradling her against him, pulling her into his lap, and he was saying her name over and over. Artemis, concerned, held him too. "Hey, I'm here. I'm here." What happened after I died? They sat there for a few minutes, rocking while Artemis struggled against her natural impulse to push him away as her mind raced over what could have happened to make him act this way.
Finally, he seemed to calm down, and Artemis started to feel like it was okay to ask what had happened. Before she could though, Wally suddenly let go of her, sitting up straighter, and Artemis fell off him onto the floor. "Why didn't you answer my texts?" He asked accusingly. She glared at him pointedly as she moved to sit up on the bed from her fallen position, but he simply glared back.
Artemis vaguely remembered her phone buzzing earlier. "I didn't check my phone. I thought it was Ollie."
"When people text you, especially after you die, Artemis, you answer."
She frowned. "Well, I'm here now." They glared at each other silently, but something seemed to occur to Wally after a moment.
He smiled slowly, and Artemis' brow furrowed. I don't like that look. "Yeah," he pulled her back on his lap, so she was sitting across his legs. "You are here. Why, again, are you here?"
Artemis shifted uncomfortably. She hadn't thought to come up with an excuse. "I…was in…in the neighborhood."
"In Central City?" Wally asked, his eyes narrowing.
"I mean, Dick and Zatanna were at my place, and you know how they can be," Artemis quickly threw her friends (falsely) under the bus.
"And the Cave?" Wally was giving her a knowing look.
Artemis crossed her arms. "Are you complaining?"
"Oh no, I'm not complaining," Wally assured her, reaching forward to snatch her mouth up, this time some of the old spark back. Artemis instantly felt like she was on more familiar ground again, putting her arms loosely around his neck. But he grinned against her lips, and she pulled back.
"What is it?" She arched her brow.
"What do you mean?" He asked innocently, taking her fingers in his hands. He had really great hands, but Artemis was not going to be distracted.
"I know that look. Why are you feeling so cocky?"
"Me? I'm never cocky," His grin stretched.
Artemis rolled her eyes and leaned back in to kiss him again, but before their lips could touch, he moved his hands to her shoulders, stopping her.
"I'm just wondering when you're going to admit that you missed me."
"What?" Artemis shrieked. Thump. They both looked at the door. Wally groaned as a hallway light came on.
"Well, now you've done it."
Artemis' eyes were wide. Oh, shit, his parents.
Wally was feeling so much better until Artemis shrieked. In some ways, Wally knew he should be offended at her shock, but having her there, warm and alive in his arms made it difficult to care. Especially after such a hard day.
After the simulation, Wally had felt numb, walking with Flash back to his parents' house, not even really noticing what he was doing. It wasn't until his phone vibrated, and he saw Dick's text about staying at Zatanna's that he snapped back into reality. With a gasp of breath, it struck him, Artemis died.
"Hey, Wally, it's okay." Barry was there before Wally could take another breath. "You're okay."
"Where's my phone?" He asked Barry numbly. He stood up. "I need my phone." Wally began to zip around, searching, only stopping when Barry grabbed him.
"Wally. Wally," Wally stared at Barry wildly. "Wally, you're holding your phone."
Wally let out a bark of a laugh and sunk onto his parents' couch. He could see them hovering in the doorway, and he knew it was taking everything in their power not to come in. He shakily started to type out a message to Artemis. What can I say? What is there to say?
"Hey, wanted to make sure you are okay?" God, that was stupid, but what else could he have texted.
He stared at his phone. Nothing.
Nothing.
"Do you want to hang out or talk or whatever?" Normally, he would never double text (okay, at least not that fast), but he just wanted her to respond.
Nothing. Nothing? He watched the time change on his phone. 2 more minutes passed. Finally, he dialed her number. It rang and rang and then went to voicemail
He texted again. "Artemis, please, I just want to hear your voice. Call me, okay? Please?"
Nothing. His hands shook hard, and he dropped his phone. He stared at it for a moment and before he could grab it, he saw his mother pick it up.
"Wally, you're okay. Everyone is okay." Her soothing voice cut through his panic, and he realized he was breathing hard. She rubbed his back with the hand not holding his phone. "Breath, Wally, breathe."
"Mom—" His voice cracked. "Mom, she's not answering."
"Who?"
"Artemis. She died, and now she's not answering her phone."
"Okay, okay, but she's fine, Wally," His mother reminded him.
"If she's okay, why won't she answer my texts?" Wally needed to hear from her, to see her if he could. That's what I'll do; I'll go see her. With or without zeta tubes, he could be there in minutes. He stood up quickly.
This time, it was his father's hands that stopped him. "No, Wally. You're not going anywhere. Not tonight."
"I have to, Dad. What if something happened to her?"
"What if she's just not near her phone?" His father reasoned. "Or in the shower, or asleep or talking to someone else? You barely gave her any time to respond. Not everyone runs at speedsters' speeds, son."
"But what if she's hurt?"
"Hey," Wally's mom came forward again. "Don't think like that. Is there anyone else you could text or call?"
Dick. He typed out a message to Dick, quickly.
"Hey, is Artemis with you guys?"
The little bubbles appeared but nothing happened.
Finally, "I think she's asleep in her room."
"Can you check?" What if she's not just asleep? What if she's not there at all?
"Yeah, just a second. Zee's going to check on her."
The wait seemed endless. Finally, Wally texted again.
"Well?"
"Just a second, Zee's coming back, jeez. If you're so worried, why don't you text her?"
"I did," Wally replied. "She didn't answer."
"Well, Zee said she's asleep. Or at least, she's pretending to be asleep."
Wally sighed, leaning back. She was okay. She was okay.
"Thanks, Dick. Sorry I was impatient. Today's been a weird day."
"Hey, I get it. I'll see you tomorrow, buddy."
"Yeah, I'll see you then."
Wally leaned back into the couch, his eyes closed, the frantic feeling in his chest dissipating.
"Everything okay, Wally?" His mom prodded.
"Yeah," He opened his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, I think it is."
Over the next few hours, Wally tried to distract himself, but it was hard to shake the frantic feeling that was building back in his chest. He tried eating, he tried running around town (with Barry to make sure he didn't try to sneak off), but it wouldn't leave. It was like an animal scratching in his lungs or heart. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He thought about calling Artemis, but she would have texted when she woke up, wouldn't she? He was just tossing a ball against a wall when she knocked on his window, and her face against the window, framed by leaves and moonlight had been the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life.
But then she had woken up probably the whole house with her shriek. Artemis tried to climb out of his bed, but without superspeed, she was no match for his mom, and the door opened before she had made it. At least she's not still on my lap, Wally comforted himself.
"Mom," Wally protested, swinging his legs off the bed. "I'm not a kid anymore. You can't just come into my room without knocking." Artemis was half-standing off the bed, half kneeling on the bed, completely frozen, like if she stood still, his mother wouldn't notice her.
Wally's mom took in the scene, before replying evenly, "I didn't realize you had company, Wally," she said slowly.
Wally sighed, stood up, walking towards his mother, and tugged Artemis forward. She looked at him and shook her head, but he pulled her by her hand. "Mom, this is Artemis. Artemis, this is my mom."
"Hello," Artemis shuffled her feet, not looking up. She tried to pull her hand from Wally's, but he entangled his fingers with hers.
"Hello, dear." His mother spoke gently, with a look of concern. "I'll leave you two alone, but it's nice to meet you. I know Wally's been very worried about you." At this, Artemis' head snapped up.
Thanks, mom. Wally dropped Artemis' hand to push his mother out the door. "Okay, mom, okay. Sorry if we woke you up. We'll see you later." He closed the door behind her and leaned against it. Artemis was standing with her arms crossed. Wally groaned internally, something he seemed to be doing a whole lot of around her.
He tried to ignore her glare. "Sorry about her." He walked towards her, hoping against hope that Artemis would drop it. "Now, where were we?"
Artemis held up her hand. "You were worried about me?"
Wally rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, yeah. Today was hard."
"I'm not some sort of damsel in distress, Wally. I can take care of myself."
"Obviously not," Wally snapped back.
"What does that mean?" Artemis glared.
"It means that if you knew what you were doing, you wouldn't have died!"
The air was tense for a moment and then Artemis turned on her heel. Shit, that's not what I meant. Why do I always say the wrong thing when it comes to her? He reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. "No, Arty, listen, I'm sorry."
"I didn't mean to die," She was still pulling away from him, but Wally was shocked to hear her voice cracking.
"I know, I know," He tried to hug her, but she walked away from him, still turned away.
"Stop, I just want to go home."
His eyes widened, and he followed her to the window. "Please, Artemis, don't go."
"Don't worry, I think I can make it home without being killed," Her voice was hurt and bitter.
"Artemis, please stay. For me." Wally begged.
Finally, she turned to him. Her face was flush, and her voice was tight. "Why?"
He raised his hands and let them fall. "I know you can take care of yourself, but after today, I just—" He couldn't find the words.
"What? Wally, I know I'm not your precious Roy, but not even he has eyes in the back of his head or superspeed."
"Artemis, please," He stepped forward. "This isn't about Roy. I know it wasn't your fault. I didn't mean that. Can you please, just stay tonight? Please"
He didn't know why he needed her to stay, or how to tell her, but he did. She paused and examined him. Something in his face must have convinced her because she nodded slowly. She sat down on the bed and began to take off her boots.
"Yeah?" Wally checked excitedly.
"Yeah, sure." She was smiling lightly as she yanked her boot off, but he also noticed her swallow hard. Artemis untied her other boot and took it off while Wally watched, then stood to take off her coat.
Suddenly, Wally was very self-conscious in his sweats and t-shirt, playing host to Artemis in his parents' house. "Uh, do you want something to eat or can I get you… anything?"
Artemis smiled mockingly. "No, Kid Stomach, I don't need any food. But do you have a t-shirt or something I can sleep in?"
Wally's mouth felt dry. She's really gonna stay the night with me. He ran to his dresser to look through his t-shirts. Smirking, he found one and threw it to her.
"Thanks," She didn't even look at it, just began to strip. Wally's eyes widened, but he turned to the wall out of respect.
"You can turn back around, Kid Dork," she finally said. When Wally turned back around, his jaw dropped. The t-shirt skimmed the top of her thighs, showing off her long, shapely legs.
She reached behind her to undo her bra, and that's when she noticed what she was wearing. "Is this a Kid Flash t-shirt?" Artemis whisper yelled.
"My house, my clothes," Wally reached forward to touch the hem of the shirt. He'd meant it as a joke when he threw it to her, but her standing there in his colors did something unexpected to him.
She muttered, "dork," under her breath before pulling her bra off under the shirt. How do girls do that? She dropped it on top of her pile of clothes.
"God, I didn't think you could get hotter," He groaned, tugging at the shirt to pull Artemis forward.
"Hands off," she batted at his hands.
"Then don't look so sexy," He stepped closer, but she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Listen, Kid Horny, I am tired, so let's say you put on another episode of the Amazing Race and relax."
Wally pouted, but grabbed his iPad and turned off the lights in the bedroom. Settling in bed, he put his arm around her, and she leaned against his chest. There wasn't much room in his twin bed, and she intertwined her legs with his. As they watched, Wally played with the end of her hair with one hand. She put her arms around him, and he used his other hand to rub her knuckle. Wally watched her as she watched, but eventually, her eyes fluttered and closed. He slowly turned off the iPad, careful not to disturb her, and slid it off the bed. Artemis shifted, and he rolled over, wrapping her fully in his arms. He held her close, kissing the top of her head, and he felt a tension he didn't know he was holding leave his body, finally able to sleep.
Artemis woke with a start. The room around her smelled like fresh laundry and stale pizza. She stared at the ceiling before remembering where she was. Wally's arm was under her shirt, across her belly. Okay, this is where the ninja skills come in handy. She gingerly lifted his arm and slid to the end of the bed. She quickly pulled on her jeans and grabbed her coat, bra, shirt, and boots to put on later. Now she had a conundrum—out the door or the window? She walked gently towards the door and opened it about an inch. She could smell bacon cooking and hear pots and pans. Great.
Artemis turned back to the window. The question was how to get out the window without waking Wally. She stepped lightly on the bed and tried to move towards the window. Once there, she slowly opened it, cringing when it creaked. She got one leg out on the roof when she felt a hand wrap around her ankle. Artemis looked down to see Wally at her feet.
He lifted his eyebrows, "Going somewhere?"
So close. Artemis climbed back in. "Hey. I didn't mean to wake you. I was just gonna go home."
"Yeah, I could see that." He stretched. At some point during the night, he must have stripped, because he was shirtless. Artemis studied his lean frame, a tiny flame igniting in her belly. "Not even a kiss goodbye? You really are just using me for my body."
"Please," Artemis snorted, "I've had more erotic nights at Girl Scout camp."
"Really?" Wally asked, sitting up. "Now that I've got to hear about."
"Some other time Flash boy." She waved him off. "I've got things to do."
He reached up and grabbed her. "C'mon stay for breakfast at least. What will I tell my mom?"
Artemis started to feel some panic, "Oh, no, I don't do parents, Wally."
"What do you mean you don't 'do parents'?" Wally asked her incredulously.
"Parents don't like me. I'm…I'm not the kind of girl you bring home to meet your mom."
"Well, my mom has already met you," Wally pointed out.
"Yeah, and look how well that went." Artemis rebutted. The memory of Mrs. West finding Artemis in her son's bed made Artemis want to sink through the floor.
"Okay, true, but look, things can't get any worse, right?" He gave her a pleading look.
"That won't work on me, West. I'm immune to the puppy dog eyes." Artemis told him, holding firm.
He reached up and touched her face. "What about whining?"
Okay, Wally was a master at whining. Honestly, it was probably his second meta power.
Artemis snorted, and Wally narrowed his eyes. "What?"
She waved him off. "Nothing. But Wally, you can see that this is a bad—"
"Listen," He cut her off, "You're going to hurt my mom's feelings if you don't stay for breakfast."
Artemis hesitated. She couldn't imagine sitting across from Wally's family, eating Sunday breakfast. God, what does that even look like? But she also couldn't think of a reason to say no. 'Hey Wally, I don't know how to be normal in a family situation because my whole family is treacherous criminals.'—yeah, what would he say to that? She sighed. "Do you have a hairbrush I can borrow?"
Wally brightened and kissed her on the cheek. Artemis noticed vaguely how he always seemed to be touching her, but she wrote it off as probably a long-ingrained habit of a young guy always trying to get some. She ran to the bathroom to get dressed and wash her face. When she got back, he handed her a comb. She brushed through her hair but there was a knot in the back. "Ow," she pulled.
"Hey," Wally stopped her hand. She looked at him in the mirror, waiting for him to explain. He had changed into jeans and a sweatshirt while she was getting ready. "Let me help." He gently worked through the tangles, and the moment began to feel intimate, full of tension. Artemis became aware that the whole situation was incredibly intimate. She wasn't the type of girl to stay the night, especially without sex involved, and she definitely had never met any guy's parents (Cam didn't count; she'd already known his dad, and anyway they'd certainly never talked to either of their fathers about their relationship in any way).
She cleared her throat and stepped away. "Thanks. I think you got it." She pulled her hair back into her signature ponytail.
"Okay, ready to face the firing squad?" Wally went to grab her hand again, but she dodged him, walking towards the door.
She opened the door and gestured towards the hallway. "After you, West." Wally frowned but led her down the hall and stairs to a small dining room.
"Hey, Mom," he called.
"Wally, come set the table," his mother called from the kitchen. Artemis followed Wally into the kitchen to see not just Wally's mother, but an entire kitchen full of people. She recognized Flash, Wally's uncle, but not the other woman or the man. Artemis assumed that one was Wally's dad and the other was Flash's (Barry's, she reminded herself) wife. She froze in the doorway, wondering if it wasn't too late to flee.
Wally seemed to read her mind, whispering to her, "You can't outrun the Flash." She nodded and walked into the kitchen timidly.
"Artemis," Mrs. West came forward, beaming.
"Good morning, Mrs. West," Artemis replied stiffly. "Can I help with anything?"
Mrs. West wiped her hands on a towel, and put her arm around Artemis, guiding her back towards the dining room. "Don't be silly, you're our guest. And call me Mary." Mary was so warm that Artemis lost some of her nerves and gave her a small smile as she sat at the table.
The red-headed woman joined Artemis, carrying a large platter of eggs. "We couldn't keep up with the guys anyway," she winked, sitting the platter in the middle of the table. "I'm Iris, Wally's aunt." She stuck her hand out.
What is this, a family reunion? "Hi," Artemis replied, shaking Iris's hand, "Artemis." Iris sat across from her, and that's when Wally and Barry came in. Artemis could see what she meant, as plates, silverware and food appeared so quickly it was almost as though by magic. Finally, Mary and the other man came in, each sitting at the end of the table. Finally, Wally sat in the chair next to her and Barry took the chair next to Iris.
Before they could dig in, Wally's father on the end cleared his throat. "Wally, aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Oh, right. Dad, this is Artemis."
"You can call me Rudolph," he smiled at Artemis, and Artemis smiled back naturally.
"Well," Mary clapped, "everyone eat up while you still can." For a moment, everyone was quiet while they loaded their plates. Artemis took a modest amount of eggs and two pieces of bacon. She passed the plate of bacon to Wally, but he pursed his lips and added a few more pieces of bacon to her plate.
"What are you doing?" She asked, frowning. She didn't want to seem greedy in front of Wally's family, and besides, she wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.
"I'm not having you take any more of my bacon again."
The whole table stopped. Artemis looked around, but it was Wally who spoke. "What?"
"You let someone eat your bacon?" Barry asked.
"I didn't let her; she stole it."
"But he did give me some of his pancakes," Artemis added.
Iris put her fork down. "Well, now I've heard everything."
"I'm not that bad," Wally complained.
"Uh, yeah you are," Artemis disagreed. Wally knocked his knee against hers, and she stole a piece of his bacon, grinning and taking a huge bite when he let out an objection.
"So, you two must be pretty serious, huh?" Iris asked. Suddenly the bacon turned to sawdust in Artemis' mouth, and she felt the smile slide off her face. Wally looked at her startled.
"Uh, actually, we're just friends," he corrected Iris. He could not say that quick enough, Artemis thought bitterly.
"Teammates, really," Artemis added quickly.
"Really?" Mary asked. "Because Wally has never brought home anyone like that before, so we thought…"
"No, no. I just needed a place to crash because you know," Artemis shrugged, "roommates." It didn't surprise her that Wally hadn't brought anyone home. She'd seen the way he flirted with people. Probably didn't like any enough to make it last, she thought sullenly to herself.
"Oh, okay." Mary gave her another one of her warm smiles and changed the subject. Artemis tried to eat, but she mainly pushed the food around, her appetite gone. When breakfast was over, Mary shooed her out of the kitchen to clean up again.
"Uh, I guess I'll head home then," she told Wally, heading towards the front door. He walked with her.
"Yeah, I'll walk with you to the zeta tube."
"You don't have to," Artemis replied quickly, desperate to leave.
"No, let me just grab my shoes, I'll be just a second." Before Artemis could argue, he was gone. She stared at the photos on the wall by the front door, picture after picture of his happy family. She swallowed thickly and started to turn away, but another picture caught her eye. There was little Wally, big ears, and loose teeth. As she was leaning in to get a good look, Wally reappeared.
"Oh no, none of that." He stepped in front of her.
"Wally, you were so cute!" She teased. "Look at those ears."
"Haha," he guided her towards the door.
"No, no, I'm sure you'll grow into them soon." She couldn't help it; it was so funny how embarrassed he was.
"You're hilarious," he deadpanned. "Mom, we're leaving," he called out, ushering Artemis outside before she could get in any more jabs.
Grinning, Artemis walked down the street towards the zeta tubes, while Wally shuffled beside her in silence.
"Hey," he broke the silence, "sorry about, you know, my family."
Artemis shrugged, her smile fading. "No biggie."
"No, I know you said you weren't like 'into parents,'" He used finger quotes, "and that was weird with the questions."
She shrugged again, unsure what to say. Finally, she cleared her throat, "So, no serious girlfriends or boyfriends?" she asked.
"Well, no, not really." He shrugged.
"Too much of a ladies' man?"
He smiled at her weakly, "Yeah, you know me."
They stopped outside the broken phone booth in an alley. "Well, this is my stop."
He wasn't making eye contact with her.
"Well, thanks," she stuck her hands in her jean pockets.
"No problem, Artemis."
She turned towards the zeta tube when he stopped her. Turning her around, Wally pushed her against the broken phone booth that acted as a zeta tube and kissed her. Artemis' eyes opened in surprise, Where is this coming from?
But she quickly forgot her reservations as he hungrily kissed her. She returned his passion, angling her head so he could deepen the kiss, moaning lightly.
Just as suddenly as the kiss began, it ended, and Artemis blinked at Wally in confusion, her breath coming hard.
"A little something for the next time you miss me," he grinned at her.
She swiped at him, but he used his super-speed to avoid the swing.
Speeding again, he kissed her on the nose. "See you soon, Arty." He ran away before she could react.
Stomping into the zeta tube, Artemis couldn't help but shake her head.