Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!
Artemis walked down the stairs that led down to her apartment mailbox. She had no idea why she was going, Wally had been dead for six months now, maybe it was to keep their tradition alive or maybe it was just hope. Or maybe she had gone crazy but whatever it was, it led Artemis out the door and down the stairs to the mailbox. She stood in front metal box looking to see if there was any new changes to the outer part of the box before she looked inside. As she looked she thought back to the first she did this, nearly 6 six years.
~~~ 6 years ago~~~
Gotham City
February 15, 13:34 EDT
It was the day after Valentine's day and Artemis was pissed to say the least. Her idiotic boyfriend had forgotten Valentine's day! I mean sure they've only been dating for 2 months but seriously! Was it too much for a simple text? Too much for phone call? And when she confronted him, he had the gall to look at her confused and ask 'What're you so mad about?'
She didn't say anything, instead she chose to turn and walk towards the zeta tubes. Faintly before she was teleported away, Artemis thought she heard Robin yell 'It's Valentine's day, ya dumbass!'
It's been 14 hours now and she hasn't responded to a single one of his texts nor has she answered any of his calls. She knew he was sorry but it kind of hurt thinking that everyone else had a gotten something for Valentine's day while she was left with nothing but her anger at her oblivious boyfriend. I mean for Pete's sake, M'gann even decorated the entire cave with pink and red streamers and heart shaped balloons! Who on earth would miss something like that?! Wallace Rudolph West apparently.
The blonde sighed as she heard her mother call her name, "Artemis! Can you go get the mail?" she asked from the kitchen.
"Yeah sure, mom." Artemis called back, as she rolled off her bed. She walked over to the front door and pulled on her favorite leather jacket and slipped on her combat boots before she walked out the front door. She walked down three flights of stairs and walked out the main doors; she strolled over to a mailbox with the name 'Crock' written on it and opened it.
Inside was a gorgeous yellow rose, along with with a card. On the front of the card, it read 'Happy Valentine's day' but someone added a 'belated' to it, so it now read 'Happy belated Valentine's day'. Artemis flipped open the card and there read one of the corniest things she has ever read. It read:
"Roses are red
And though one isn't
You know I love you, even though I forgot a present
I may have forgotten that it's Valentine's
But I'll always remember that you are mine"
Artemis couldn't help but roll her eyes at the first line but she had tiny unshed tears there as she continued to read. She shook her head as she continued to reread the card. "Happy belated Valentine's day, beautiful." A familiar voice said behind her. Turning around she saw the person who had caused her so much annoyance in the past 14 1/2 hours. Wally stood there wearing a white button down shirt, rubbing the back of his neck as he gave her a smile.
"So, this how your apologizing? By giving me a rose, a card and dressing up nicely?" She asked incredulously.
"Ummmm, yes?" Wally tried to sound confident but his words sounded more like a question.
"Hm," she hummed. Wally closed his eyes, afraid she might yell at him or even throw the flowers at him and break up with him on the him on the spot but he was caught off guard when she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Good, because I love it." she said, as she nuzzled closer to him. "But don't you ever do that again, or I might just have to break up with you."
Wally's eyes widen before returning to their normal size. "I promise I won't forget next year. Happy belated Valentine's day, beautiful." She let out a giggle before she returned his words.
~~~Present Time~~~
Every year after that he would end up forgetting Valentine's day and every year he would give her a yellow rose and a card with a corny poem in it. After their second year of dating he started to give her a red rose as well, and each time she asked him why, he would give her a different answer, "It's ketchup and mustard!", "It's the colors of Kid Flash duh!", "Yellow and red make orange and orange is fire!" and so on.
Artemis sighed, she couldn't find anything different on the outside of the box. It looked the exact same as it did two days ago, old and rusty but still it stood tall holding every piece of mail she and Wally have every received. She hesitated slightly before reaching forward and opening the small box, sighing when there was nothing in there.
She could feel tears burning in her eyes, threatening to fall. She knew that there wasn't going to be anything in there but a tiny part of her wished that she would find her red and yellow rose and her cheesy Valentine's day card. She was closing the mailbox's lid when something caught her attention, she blinked through her clouded vision and she gasped.
Inside was the box was a yellow and red rose weaved together with a pink and red card that read "Happy belated Valentine's day!" laying on top of the roses. She carefully picked up the card and opened it and practically cried her eyes out when she saw the familiar writing:
"Roses are red
But the yellow ones mean so much more
After I disappeared from you
You thought I'd miss it just like before
In those 6 months that I was lost
I'd thought our paths would never cross
I'm sorry I left you in those icy plains
But I promise to never leave you again"
She couldn't believe her eyes, looking around she couldn't see anyone through her hazy vision. "You like my present, beautiful?" she heard that oh so familiar voice that she had dreamed about hearing for the past six months. She couldn't move, couldn't turn around, couldn't do anything but listen to his sweet comforting voice.
"Please be real! Please!" Artemis rasped out, as she silently cried. Tears pouring out of eyes like a waterfall as she collapsed to her knees just like she did all those months ago.
Wally immediately raced over to her and wrapped his warm muscular arms around her shaking body. "Shhhh, it's okay. It's okay, let it all out. I'm right here and I'm never leaving again. I promise." He whispered into her ear, whilst gently rubbing her back as she continued to sob loudly into his chest. After crying for god knows how long, Artemis finally composed herself as she looked at Wally for the first time. His hair was longer and he had a couple of tiny scraps on his face but other than that he was same old Wally. Her Wally. Her goofy, funny loving boyfriend. Her Baywatch. "Happy belated Valentine's day, beautiful." he said, with his gorgeous goofy grin. The same one where she could not resist grinning back at.
"Happy belated Valentine's day, Baywatch." she said, as he carried her bridal style back into their apartment.
If anyone is wondering why I'm posting this on the 15th, it's only cause I did it on purpose.
