Return Chapter 2
July 1st 8:00 am 2017 Star City
Artemis Crock woke up to the smell of bacon, eggs, and waffles. Sitting up she looked around her guest bedroom, remembering last night's events. But why could she smell food? Dick was supposed to be resting; the guy had a dislocated shoulder, a stab wound, and arrow wound and a bad knee. Artemis buried her head in her hands, he dead boyfriends best friend just showed up after disappearing for a year. And now he was cooking in her kitchen while wounded.
Sighing Artemis got out of the bed going to her bedroom to slip a pair of sweat pants and a new tank top on, she put her hair up in a messy pony tail before she went into her living room. Dick Grayson stood in her kitchen wearing the tattered pants from last night and no shirt, his arm was still in the sling she created for his shoulder and both his stab wounds had blood going through the bandages.
"What are you doing?" she asked a little more harshly than she intended.
Dick turned around with a spatula in his hand, smiling sheepishly he shrugged and then winced "I'm making breakfast, you like waffles, bacon and eggs right?" he asked.
Artemis sighed "Of course I do. But that's not what I meant. You're supposed to be resting not standing on your feet cooking".
"You've known me for how long now, do I ever just sit around when I'm hurt and rest?" Dick asked smiling.
"No you don't but now I have to change your dressings again. And you're probably making your knee swell even more" Artemis said moving towards him, she grabbed the spatula out of his hand "Couch now" she said pointing the spatula towards her couch.
Dick frowned but followed her instructions and hobbled to the couch. Artemis shook her head and turned around to finish the bacon. Once everything was cooked Artemis made Dick a plate and handed it to him as she sat down next to him.
"How'd you learn to cook?" Artemis asked.
"Alfred taught me, said it was important I know how to take care of myself and it was an added bonus if you cooked for a woman" Dick said.
Artemis laughed "Well it's actually really good, I'm impressed".
Dick smiled "I'm glad you like it".
"We should probably change your bandages, I'll have to run to the store and get more antiseptic for your side wound though" Artemis said.
"I have money to pay for it, I might not be speaking with Bruce but I'm still head of his overseas business" Dick said smiling.
Artemis raised her eyebrow "What's going on between you and Bruce?"
Dick looked down at his empty plate "A lot's been going on for the past year Artemis".
Artemis snorted "Tell me about it" she mumbled standing up and taking his plate with her to the kitchen. "I'm going to get the first aid kit out of the bathroom; we can change your dressings out here".
Dick didn't say anything as Artemis went to her bathroom to get the stuff.
Neither one said anything as Artemis sat on the couch next to him and began unwrapping the bandages. "I haven't had a conversation that didn't consist of work with Bruce since the day I left the team" Dick said quietly.
Artemis was taken by surprise that she stopped peeling the bandages off and looked up at him sadly. "He was upset that I was leaving the team, that I gave the leadership back to Kaldur. He wanted me to be like him and just get over my best friend's death. He wanted me to stop blaming myself because I did what had to be done, even if it killed my best friend. I yelled at him I'd never be like him and walked out. Unless it has to do with work, we don't speak" Dick said quietly with his eyes closed.
"I'm sorry I disappeared, I just couldn't handle it. I had planned staying in touch with you but after my argument with Bruce I didn't think you'd want to see me. I thought you hated me for practically dragging Wally back into the hero life. I understand if you still do, because I hate myself for dragging the two of you into it" Dick said turning to look at her as she finished cleaning and redressing his wound.
Artemis didn't say anything as she stood up and pulled a chair over in front of him so she could redress the arrow wound. "I don't hate you Dick. At first I did because you left me, the one person I've always had a connection with because we were the only original humans. And you were the only other person who knew Wally like I did and you left. I don't blame you for dragging Wally and I into the fight. You needed someone to go undercover I was the only person who could do that, and jumped at the chance. I could have said no but I wanted to I wanted to feel that rush again, I knew there were dangers I just never thought it would be Wally we lost" she said softly as cleaned the wound making Dick hiss in pain.
"I miss him every day" Dick whispered.
Artemis finally looked up her grey eyes meeting his blue ones "So do I" she whispered trying to keep her tears in check.
Artemis put fresh bandages on the wound and went to move away but Dick grabbed her arm pulling her down onto the couch next to him. Dick wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling into his chest "Let it out" he whispered to her.
Artemis closed her eyes and let herself break down in the arms of Dick Grayson. Dick gently rubbed her back as he held her, letting his own tears fall as well.
Dick wasn't sure how long they sat there comforting each other and crying, but eventually Artemis ended up falling asleep with her arms wrapped around her waist and her head on his chest. Normally Dick would have carried her to her bedroom but since he couldn't exactly lift her with a bum shoulder and bad knee, he just let her use him as a pillow. Eventually Dick fell asleep as well.
Dick woke up because of a gasping pain to his crotch. Eyes snapping open and breath hitched in his throat Dick jerked forward instantly grabbing his crouch and then groaning from pain. When he looked down he saw that Artemis had sifted in her sleep and hit him in the crotch waking him up. Sighing Dick lay his head on the back of the couch, trying to go back to sleep but his stomach started growling he was hungry. He couldn't get up because Artemis' head was in his lap and even moving his knee was like someone stabbing him with little pins. Besides Artemis didn't have very much food he was barely able to scratch up the stuff for breakfast.
Not being able to stand it anymore Dick gently shook Artemis' shoulder.
"Artemis wake up" Dick said shaking her.
"No" Artemis mumbled covering her face with her arm.
"Come on Artemis I'm starving" Dick wined.
Artemis huffed "Fine" she said sitting up and stretching. "What do you want?"
"You have like no food, have you ever heard of grocery shopping?" Dick asked teasingly.
Artemis narrowed her eyes at him "Of course I have, but when it's just me it's hard to buy food that won't go to waste".
"How about we order something and then you can go grocery shopping latter because I'm starving" Dick said.
"Sounds good to me, there's a pizza parlor down the street that's really good, I'll call and order one, and then pick up some more bandages and stuff on my way to pick it up" Artemis said.
Dick smiled "Pepperoni for me, and I'll pay" he said pulling a wallet out of his pants and handing her a hundred dollar bill.
"Dick this is way too much" Artemis said eyes wide.
Dick shrugged "You can give me the change back or keep it doesn't matter to me. Although I do want to go grocery shopping with you later, I'm gonna need some knew clothes".
"Are you inviting yourself to stay another night"? Artemis asked smirking at him.
Dick just smiled "I kind of was yes. But if you want me to leave I can" he said quickly.
Artemis shook her head "No I want you to stay, we still have a lot to talk about boy wonder" she said getting up from the couch and going towards her land line. Artemis called the pizza parlor ordering the food before she took a quick shower and got dressed in clean clothes. She came back out in her normal skinny jeans with boots, tank top and brown leather jacket.
"I'll go get the stuff, you stay here, and try not to make your wounds bleed again" She said looking at him sternly.
Dick raised his hands up in surrender "I promise I'll only sit here on the couch and watch TV".
"Good, I'll be back in a bit" she said walking out of her apartment.
Thirty minutes later Artemis walked through the door with two grocery bags and a large box of pizza. Dick lay stretched out on the couch asleep, his good arm was strewn over his eyes and Artemis' dog Norman lay snoring at his feet. Artemis shook her head and closed the door making Dick's eyes snap open.
"Sorry I didn't mean to wake you" Artemis said moving to sit the stuff on the counter.
Dick painfully sat up on the couch "It's okay, I didn't mean to fall asleep but listening to your dog snore made me sleepy. I don't think I've ever heard a dog snore so loudly before".
Artemis laughed as she pulled plate out of the cupboard "Yeah me either but I've grown used to it".
Artemis handed him a plate of pizza and sat down next to him on the couch "You think you'll be able to make it to the store so we can get you some new clothes?" she asked.
"Yeah I think so, I can always ride around in one of those electric carts" Dick said with a large smile.
"Fine but if you get us in trouble I will hurt you" Artemis said.
"I can only try my best 'Mis" Dick said.
Artemis stopped mid way of taking a bite of pizza "Did you just call me 'Mis?"
Dick frowned "Yeah do you not want me to call you that anymore?"
Artemis shook her head "No it's fine, it's just be a long time since someone's called me that".
Dick smiled "I remember when it used to drive you insane, I loved calling you that just to make you mad".
"I remember you constantly trolling me to make me mad" Artemis said smiling.
Dick laughed "It was because I cared".
Artemis laughed, the two sat on the couch eating pizza and talking about their days at Gotham Academy.