A Very Traught Summer

Rated T for Teen.
Dick/Artemis
Robin/Artemis








There she was, the bronzed goddess of the hunt. The solid muscle of her training revealed itself on and off again. She was not unlike myself, so devoted to pushing her body hard to keep up with our superhuman teammates. I admired her devotion, her skill, her focus, and her willingness to speak her mind. I was a coward in that regard. I was sitting here only watching, wasn't I? I see her eyes drop towards me every so often, pretending that she is not looking. I will myself to not be shameless with her, as I could be. I could probably give her a certain glance and her balance would waver just a bit, enough to tell me that she was not thinking much unlike me.

But I was a friend first before I was anything else. Even before a charmer. My best friend was consistently making it painful for me to even think of such things. Of course, I would never tell him any of it. Knowing all the etiquette of romance and cat and mouse, even without his word, I knew that he was head over heels for her. She seemed to be hesitant, conflicted. She would shoot back at him, but her heart was not in it. I wondered where her heart was. Was it here, with me? Even as I read her, I knew that she kept secrets. Most of the secrets were of no concern to me. If anything, knowing what she could become made me admire her all the more. She was fighting the mold.  

The one secret I wanted most to know, was that if the connection between us was not false. Was it some sort of teenage, whimsical fantasy that my physiology was tempting me with? One could say it was at least a bit of that, in my eyes. But I had much more intention than that. I did not just want what any other boy would want. I wanted there to be more than infatuation, glimpses of desire that would soon fade when they were done with me. If it were that, I would not be so calm. I would not ache as I watched my best friend and her fight, knowing the charge between them was electric. But still he hesitated. Still he drove me mad. I wanted to shout at him.

" Why can't you just do it already?! Why do you torture me?! Why do you make me wait for all these years and still not do anything?! Why can't you just take her away from me, so that I can be justified with my own decision to not act?! Please take her away, before I hurt you, too. Take her away from me, like I know you want to. Let me have peace."

But as he smiled next to me, a bit sunburned and chatting with the rest of the team amiably, I couldn't do it. Would he ever forgive me? Did he have some sort of claim to her? Maybe not. Maybe I should ask her myself. I would settle this. I would settle my mind and heart. Perhaps I would find the peace, if I knew that she did not feel the same. I sighed heavily, keeping up the talk that Wally and I so usually shared. How cute the girls looked in their bathing suits. Who did I think looked the cutest? Superboy somehow trying to beat Aqualad at swimming. How hungry Wally was. Then back to girls. He avoided talking about her like the plague, which I tried not to groan about, since his avoidance was so misplaced and sidestepping. The more he didn't talk about her, the more I knew he was thinking about her.

The team settled down in the beach house, girls in one room, boys in the other with the living room in between. The air grew colder and the tide picked up as the moon rose over the blue, starry horizon. I had slipped her a note without anyone's notice. Everyone was either too exhausted or too excited to notice that night at dinner. She hadn't acknowledged it, just as discreet as I knew she would be. I had the feeling she thought that something was wrong, perhaps with the team. The air was a bit too thick, even as we both charade our way through dinner and a movie in the living room.

There was no sound but the waves and crickets in the brush on the hill by the sea. I sat on the porch, not quite needing a coat, but bringing a blanket out, anyway. I let the sound soothe my nerves. I was usually not so restless. I kept my mask on at night, just as Bruce requested. It was a pain not letting anyone see my true face. The only one who had was my best friend. The one who I was supposed to be able to talk to. But I had to keep secrets for his sake, and for Bruce's.

She approached, sitting down silently next to me on the couch. Her hair was down and washed, but she still smelled like the ocean, slight hint of salt.

" Are you cold?"

" No, thanks. Heh."

She looked behind her, and I could see her foot checking for any vibrations of footsteps. When she was content, she looked over at me.

" What's wrong?"

" Wrong? Nothing, actually."

" Oh, come on. Do you really think I believe that?" she chuckled at me, shaking her head.

Her voice was unique, something I had come to love, and that laugh was just another thing that made my chest flutter a bit inside.

" I suppose that's fair. I would be lying if I said there was nothing wrong," I smirked back.

" So many things that you think I don't notice, Dick."

I blinked, my mouth opened, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to come out of it. I closed it before I made a very puzzled and embarrassing noise.  I took a couple seconds to collect my mind.

" Am I really that easy to figure out?" I asked, almost laughing. I had to stop myself, or I would wake the entire house out of the excitement and amusement at my own mistakes. I had no qualms about peeling my mask off, setting it aside, feeling a bit relieved that I did not have to hide it.  " I don't know what to say. I suppose the cliche question would be, how did you figure it out?"

" Even our mentors make mistakes, sometimes, right? It was honestly a couple days after you greeted me at Gotham High. Remember? You took my picture. When I really sat down to think about it, it made sense. You were watching over me, in a way, weren't you?"

" I still am."

" I know. With a reaction like that, I am pretty sure that's not what you asked me out here for."

" You would be correct."

" Well? What did you possibly need to ask me in private?"

" It's about Wally."

She was quiet for a couple seconds, the confidence on her face slowly morphing into a little bit of frustration. I could tell that she was trying to keep her head.

" What about him?"

" I think you know exactly what I am asking, Artemis. I need to know. For him."

She frowned at me, seeming to be debating her options. I could confidently say that out of the entire team, she was most comfortable with me. It wasn't like I stalked her or anything, but being a hacker and listening closely to what she talked to with the girls made me certain. We were alike. Normal in a sea of strange and superhuman. I suppose that set her at ease. Her frown lessened as she pushed a hand on her forehead.

" He's...Wally. I am not sure. I don't know if I've decided, yet. I think there might be something there, but if he isn't willing to notice it, than screw it. I'm not the traditional type of gal, but if what I am assuming with you asking me that question is true, he isn't showing anything but dislike for me," she whispered, seeming to worry about anyone hearing it.

" I've tried. He is as stubborn as he is fast. But I was asking without the prompting of him."

" Because you're his best friend, and you're supposed to care about it, right? You're..a good friend, Dick. Wally's lucky to have that."

" I'm your friend too, you know. Don't think I don't care about you, as well," I stated, maybe with a little too much conviction. She looked at me a little strangely, cocking her eyebrow.

" I knew you cared. You didn't have to say it. Makes me all embarrassed. Ugh. I don't know if it's Batman that rubs off on you. People's tongues are a bit loose around you two, for various reasons."

" Why is that?"

" Oh. Nevermind," she said, and I could see her visibly pull her body in to protect herself from something. She started to unfold her legs to get up. She was outspoken and strong, so the motions and drop in her voice did not suit her. I grinned at her.

" So much for your tongue being loose."

" Sorry, I just think I'm tired out. Swimming and all that running around. It's relaxing, but exhausting. Besides, I told you about what you wanted to know, and it's getting late-"

My fingers gripped her wrist, pulling firmly but not harshly as she stood. She was caught by surprise, face quickly turning to face me in question. My hands reached out the rest of the way, guiding her face towards mine with a push to the back of her head. Her eyes widened as mine closed, my lips pressing against hers. There was a confused, astounded, and even pleasurable sound from her throat. I told myself that I would let go if she struggled out of my grip, but she did not. Instead, I felt her lips sliding over mine as her body closed the gap between us. Her mouth was hot against my colder lips, and I could feel myself let out the breath that I had been holding for so long. Her tongue slipped in, searching and finding my own. I let out a pleasured grunt of approval and let the passion kick in. It was as if I was starved for her lips, and her for mine. Fingers slid through hair and her warm body rubbed up against me. She straddled me on the couch, wrapping her arm around my back and the other moving up my scalp.

I did not go where my body was signaling me to go, but my hand found the small of her back and pushed her even more into me. She did not object, letting out a bit of a sigh and gasp into my mouth. Her long, blonde hair tickled my skin. I savored her taste, her sounds, her movements. I had been watching for so long, and it now seemed that so had she. As we broke apart, I felt it hard to keep my mouth from pressing back against her immediately. We watched each other intently, breathing hard but trying to calm it. I finally opened my mouth to speak. I could be nothing but honest.

" You're beautiful, Artemis."

" What about Wally?"

" When he finally decides to make a move, I will step away, if you wish it. But until then, babe, you're mine."

She made a sound like she was about to protest, but it halted and I felt her chuckle.

" We'll have to be really discreet, Dick."

" You forget that I'm the protege of Batman, and also Wally still hasn't figured Connor and M'gann out."

" You have a point..."

" Now, get back down here. I won't have all these hormones and the lovely ambiance go to waste."