Return Chapter 7

July 7th 2:00 am

Stretching Artemis opened her eyes to see that it was now dark outside, and currently naked in Dick's bed. Closing her eyes again she thought of what happened between her and Dick. She hadn't had sex since Wally died and had only ever been with Wally. She thought their sex life was amazing, but holly shit she had never had sex like that. Part of her felt guilty for sleeping with her dead boyfriend's best friend but the other half was excited and giddy, something she hadn't felt since Wally.

Opening her eyes again she looked next to her, but Dick was gone, she was alone in his huge bed. Getting out of the bed she grabbed Dick's shirt and slipped it on with her running shorts, the shirt completely covered her shorts. Artemis left the room expecting not to find Dick until she got to the kitchen but she noticed that the door that Dick usually has locked was open and the lights were on. Stepping into the doorway she saw Dick sitting at a large burgundy desk as he typed furiously on his computer, he sat at the desk shirtless with his hair still sticking up all over the place. The room was wall to wall book shelves filled with all kind of books and pictures; she could make out pictures of Bruce, Alfred, Tim, and Barbara, Zatanna, and other members of the team as well as Wally and Artemis.

He didn't notice her in the doorway until she spoke "Hey".

Dick's head quickly snapped up and his eyes locked on her, instantly a soft smile spread onto his face "Hey did I wake you?"

Artemis shook her head as she walked towards his desk "No I woke up on my own, what are you doing in here?" she asked sitting on the edge of his desk and looking at his computer to see him working on a very complicated looking spread sheet.

"I got a call from our U.K. branch while you were sleeping I didn't want to wake you so I came in here to talk with them, I had to fix some things, do my magic you know" he said winking at her.

Artemis smiled "This is a pretty nice office, but it's the pretty typical rich person type of office you know".

Dick laughed setting his hand on her thigh "I know it's pretty stereotypical but I like it it's comfortable".

"Why do you have it locked?" Artemis asked trying to ignore the heat that was spreading up her leg from his touch.

Dick leaned back in his chair "I have a lot of personal things in here, as well as important documents for work, as well as the team and things like that. It's not a room I really want strangers in you know".

Artemis nodded her head "I understand, so are you as hungry as I am?"

"I'm starved, I think there's some left over Chinese food in the fridge we could reheat" Dick said smiling at her "You look really good in my shirt by the way".

"That sounds good it's really comfortable I think I might keep it" Artemis said standing up from the desk and moving towards the door as Dick shut down his computer.

By the time Dick caught up with her she was already at the top of the stairs but Dick picked her up throwing her over his shoulder making her shriek. "What are you doing?" she asked laughing.

"I'm carrying you, what does it look like I'm doing" Dick said smiling.

"You're so weird" Artemis said giving up the fight.

Dick just laughed setting her down on a bar stool in the kitchen "I know you remind me often" he said smiling at her.

Artemis smiled "Are you going to heat up the food or what?"

"I never said I was cooking, why don't you reheat the left overs?" Dick said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because I'm tired and a little sore" Artemis said.

Dick grinned cockily "Oh really did I wear you out that much Miss Crock?"

Artemis rolled her eyes "Don't get so cocky Grayson; it's been a long time since I've had sex that's why".

"I'm always cocky. But if your that tired I'll reheat the food because I'm such an awesome guy" Dick said grinning.

Artemis snorted "Your ego is way to big".

"If I remember correctly you liked it just a couple of hours ago" he said winking at her before he turned around to open the fridge, thankfully because he didn't see Artemis' blush.

Dick pulled out all the leftovers and plates before microwaving each one, Artemis got bored just sitting and walked over to his wine selection, which was pretty impressive and she knew nothing about wine. "This is quite a selection" she said.

"Bruce has a whole room filled to the rough of different wines" Dick said.

"If you really have a drinking problem do you think it's a good idea to have this stuff in your apartment?" Artemis asked concerned.

"Probably not, do you uhh think you could help me ya know get rid of them" Dick asked rubbing the back of his neck.

Artemis smiled walking towards him and wrapping her arms around his waist "Of course I'll help you".

Dick smiled kissing her forehead "Thank you".

The two grabbed their plates eating at the kitchen counter instead of the floor, after eating Artemis put their plates in the sink saying she'd wash them later.

"So you wanna go for round two?" Dick asked setting his hands on her hips.

Artemis smirked "I don't know we should probably give your wounds a rest they've been through a lot".

"Well I think their fine, they aren't even bleeding" Dick said.

"Take a look again boy wonder" Artemis said smirking as she pulled away from his hold and went up the stairs.

Dick frowned looking down at his side, were a little bit of blood had seeped through the bandages. "Damn it" he mumbled before following Artemis' lead and going up the stairs towards his bedroom. But what he saw in his bedroom was diffidently not what he expected. "Damn" he said impressed, using his foot he slammed the bedroom door shut.

July 7th 10:00 am

Instead of Artemis waking up alone it was Dick who woke up naked and alone in his huge bed.

"Well this is weird" he said sitting up in the bed. After grabbing some clothes he went downstairs hoping to find Artemis in the kitchen. Instead he found a snoring Norman on the couch with a torn up pillow and stuffing all over the place. Glaring at the dog he turned around to face the kitchen, but no one was there. Frowning he walked to the fridge were a note hung on it.

Dick
I went to get some breakfast and dog food for Norman, I didn't want to wake you.
Artemis

Dick smiled and decided to make some coffee while he waited for Artemis to get back. Grabbing his coffee and Mac book he flopped on the couch successfully waking Norman. Scrolling through various news sites on the internet Dick thought about what happened between himself and Artemis. He had always cared for Artemis, but over the years that care turned in love, even when she was with Wally. And now that Wally's gone he still feels incredibly guilty for having feelings for his best friend's girlfriend. And now he felt even more guilty for sleeping with her, but he didn't regret it, he didn't think he ever would.

Shaking his head he opened his computer to start working on the U.K. problems again. He knew there was a time difference but couldn't they wait until a decent hour to call him begging him to fix their stupid mistakes especially when he's cuddling with the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. He had just finished his paper work when the apartment door opened.

Leaning his head back he saw it was Artemis with a couple of paper bags in her hands. Norman didn't even lift his head from the couch, he just kept sleeping.

"Need any help?" Dick asked watching as Artemis went towards the kitchen.

"No I got it, thanks though" Artemis said setting the bags on the counter.

Dick just nodded his head looking back at the computer as he finished sending the fixed report to the head guy in U.K.

"What are you doing?" Artemis asked leaning on the back of the couch next to his head.

"I'm just sending the fixed report to U.K." Dick said closing his computer and setting it on the coffee table.

"I thought you finished that this morning before we ate the Chinese food?" Artemis asked.

"I just had to double check it and send it off" Dick said.

"If I had known that I wouldn't have distracted you" Artemis said sincerely.

Dick shook his head grabbing Artemis' shoulders and flipping her over the couch so that she was no sitting in his lap "You didn't distract me, besides I'm perfectly happy with you distracting me. And our U.K. branch totally blew the problem out of proportion; they should have been able to fix it themselves, something that's going to pist Bruce off".

Artemis wrapped her arms around his neck leaning her forehead against his "I like distracting you, but I think we need to talk about what's going on between us".

Dick sighed "I know but can it wait until after I eat because I'm hungry".

Artemis laughed "Alright we'll talk after we eat" she said lightly kissing his lips.

Artemis had bought the ingredients for waffles so that's what they made. Norman didn't leave the couch until Artemis had poured his food.

"My house cleaner is going to be really upset when she gets here and finds dog hair all over the place" Dick said as they ate their waffles at the kitchen counter.

"Yeah probably but you can pay her extra" Artemis said.

"What, why do I have to pay her extra he's your dog" Dick asked.

"Yes but you make more money than I do" Artemis said smiling.

"He's still your dog" Dick mumbled finishing his waffles. After washing the dishes and putting everything away the two flopped down on the couch.

"How do we start?" Dick asked rubbing his hand up and down her bare legs.

Artemis sighed "I don't know, I guess we just let everything out in the open. First of all I feel guilty but at the same time I don't".

"That's exactly how I feel. I know I should be ashamed of what we did you were my best friends girlfriend. But I don't, I've always cared about you 'Mis, I just didn't realize how much until now. I don't know if I could ever go back to just being friends with you after this" Dick said.

"I don't think I could either, I don't want to lose you Dick you mean a lot to me it just took me a while to realize that. I don't think Wally would want us to ignore our feelings like this not when we obviously make each other happy. And I don't want to ignore them. I will always love Wally he was my first everything, but I can't live in the past anymore and I know he would want me to move on" Artemis said intertwining her fingers with Dick's.

"But would he want you moving on with his best friend?" Dick asked.

"I don't know, but he would want both us to be happy and if we do that for each other than there's nothing wrong with that. I….. I want to be with you Dick, I want to give this a try" Artemis said looking him in the eye.

Dick had never seen such vulnerability in her eyes before, and he knew she was being honest "I want to be with you to, I've always wanted to be with you" Dick said pulling her into his arms "I never want to leave your side again".

"Then don't" Artemis whispered before the two met in the middle for the most heated, passionate, caring, heartfelt kiss either had experienced.