Russia; November 3rd, 6:17 NST
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Artemis shivered and pulled her hood down further over her face. It did little to protect her from the biting cold of the Russian snow, coming down thick until the very air seemed as white as a piece of paper.
Mason grabbed ahold of her arm, just to locate her in the swirling, blinding snow. Either of them getting lost out here in the cold wouldn't end well, so he held tight to her arm, just to keep the two of them together as they tried to navigate the cosmos of the tundra, all while shivering. Leaning in close to her ear, he said to her.
Mason: "Alright I think our job here is done."
It was hard to hear him over the winds, but Artemis nodded all the same. His breath was warm as it touched her frozen skin, and Artemis was grateful for it.
Artemis: "Which way back to civilization?"
Artemis asked, leaning in close to his own ear. Mason thought for a long moment, staring at the white winds that were swirling around them and pushing at their bodies. He couldn't see anything in the white mess of the storm, but he relied more on his photographic memory than anything, trying to locate which direction was south.
Back to the city they had been staying at before they ventured out here into this blizzard in attempt to locate the broken meteorite carrying alien tech. Or so Batman had said making this a two person covert mission although him and Robin would be the best choice for some reason the Dark Knight chose Mason and Artemis. Which he can't can't complain after he made M'gann and Conner go undercover in Belle Reve.
Mason: "This way."
Artemis felt him pulling at her arm, and she following him through the thick snow that was quickly mounting beneath their feet. Arctic Russia was cold, but it still didn't phase Mason that much.
To which Artemis was jealous; thanks to his League of Shadows like training, he could pretty much swim around naked in frigid waters, bare his skin to even the coldest of temperatures. Although he had pulled his jacket over himself. After what seemed like hours of treading through of hellish dimension of a frozen wasteland, Mason though he saw dim yellow lights piercing through the veil of the snow.
Mason: "I think we're getting closer."
He said to Artemis, his lips almost to her ear. Artemis nodded; she couldn't talk with her teeth chattering the way they were. Briefly looking up from beneath her thick hood, she saw the same city lights that Mason had seen. A wave of relief went through her body; soon she'd be out of this storm, and back inside their cheap motel room.
Hopefully able to take a hot shower and then curl up in thick blankets by the old stove. When they finally got back into the cold motel room together, Artemis pulled her coat and gloves and shoes off, and immediately went to turn the heater up that sat along the base of the wall. Mason watched her with steady eyes. He wasn't as cold as she was, for he'd felt colder, but still he drifted over to the heater with her.
Mason: "Russia is colder, then the last time I was here."
Artemis: "Yeah, no shit, Beyond cold. Freezing. Worse. Also your second time being here?"
Mason: "Yeah. My uhh... mother took me here to strengthen my body against the cold. Just another perk... for making me a weapon."
Artemis slightly frowns seeing how he hates talking about his mother and how damaged the sidekick was. She put her hands out in front of her, nearly placing them on the hot metal that slowly began radiating heat towards her. Back in the edges of her mind, she wondered how bad it would hurt if she did so. Would the ends justify the means? Probably not.
Mason: "Y'know a warm shower might help."
Artemis looked up at him.
Mason: "I–I mean!"
He looks away from her and blushing.
Mason: "That hot water can raise your external body temperature faster than hot air can."
His blush deepened, and Artemis smiled and chuckled at the look on his face.
Artemis: "Yeah, that's true, But that feeling when you step out of a warm shower...not something I want."
Mason: "Makes sense."
Minutes of silence passed between them as they sat in front of the old metal heater, both of their hands placed in front of them, as they tried to get warm. Eventually, Artemis could feel her skin starting to thaw. Mason eventually removed his coat, and sat it on his lap. Artemis peeled her over shirt off, and then stuck her covered toes towards the heater.
Artemis: "Hopefully this night will be warmer than the last,"
"I hope so, After all–"
He glanced behind them to the unmade bed that stood just behind them,
Mason: "–we will be sharing a bed." 'That billionaire orphan planned this shit from the start.'
The only reason for the single bed was because of the cost. A double bed room would have cost more money than they had wanted to spend, and they both reasoned that they could handle sleeping in the same bed plus Batman was stingy with the money (He indeed planned this). There was nothing to it, nothing to be self-conscious about.
But as with the past few days they'd spent searching northern Russia for the alien meteorite, they both couldn't help but feel a strange heat kindling between them. Artemis and he would lay in bed for long hours for a time, trying to see if one another slept soundly, and eventually they'd nudge closer to each other in search of warmth.
And Artemis would nudge the back of his legs with her heel, and feel heat rise within her when she felt him stir in his sleep. Artemis kept telling herself that nothing was going on. But it was pointless to tell herself that. Denial was futile. She'd had a crush on him ever since she saw him that night when she'd been welcomed to the team.
And it had grown stronger as time passed: when he had held her away from the lava in the magic castle, when she had fought him so many times in training, them watching a movie after the Harm incident, when she had joined him all those nights ago when he felt weak after his session with Black Canary and needed someone to talk to. Artemis couldn't deny it; she had it bad for him.
Artemis: "Well this is nice."
Artemis said after a while, her attempt at conversation lame.
Mason: "Yeah..."
He replied. Nothing more, nothing less.
Artemis: "I'm hoping to stay warm tonight."
Artemis said, her voice lowering and a blush darkening across her face as she slid her eyes to the side to see him. She saw his lips twitch into a smile for only a moment.
Mason: "I hope so too. More for your sake than mine."
She snorted.
Artemis: "Always the martyr, aren't you?"
She asked him, turning her eyes back to the radiator in front of her. Warmth was spreading throughout her muscles and blood, and she no longer felt like she had to dig her nails deep into her bones to find heat anymore.
Mason: "Its not like that."
He said, turning around to face her.
Mason: "I meant that...well, I can handle the cold better than you can...so sleeping in the cold..."
Artemis: "It's okay."
Artemis said, a faint smile on her lips.
Artemis: "I know what you mean. Besides your mom's a prick for leaving you out in the cold."
Mason sighed in relief.
Artemis: "It's getting late. We should turn in."
She couldn't deny that a small, certain feeling of excitement went through her at those words. While they prepared for bed, Artemis had to stay on constant alert that she didn't sneak peaks at him, and stayed focused on whatever it was she was doing.
The lights turned off. Artemis pulled the sheets and covers and blankets up over her, feeling Mason shift in the bed next to her. Their backs were facing each other, and they both gravitated towards the edge of the bed, careful to keep their distance. But as the night wore on, they drifted closer and closer to each other, attracted by the warmth and drawn to the presence of each other.
Around midnight, Mason slung his arm over Artemis' hip, and she inhaled sharply. He was warmth, so she pressed back up against him. She didn't even bother telling herself that it was to ward off the cold of the Russian nights; she wanted to be next to him.
Mason: "Your not asleep?"
Artemis: "Clearly you aren't either."
Mason: "Clearly."
He shifted a little, trying to get comfortable and untangle his legs from the sheets and blankets that crowded them both.
Mason: "Are you still cold?"
Artemis: "A little, But not much. Hell of a lot better than being out in the snow."
Mason: "I second that, way better."
Another moment of silence passed between them, so long that they each thought that the other had fallen asleep. But they remained awake, bundled next to each other in the bed, trying to stay warm. Artemis breathed steadily, deeply, and she noted small hints of Mason's scent as he warmed up. He smelled mostly like cologne, but there was a hint of something earthy as well. It made her happy, for him to be so close.
Artemis: "Red."
Artemis said again, immediately letting him know that she was not asleep.
Artemis: "What do you think about this?"
Mason: "About...what exactly?"
He asked, peeling his eyes open to look at her dark form under the covers.
Artemis: "This."
Mason: "I'm sorry, I'm not following, What do you mean by 'this?' It is a vague term, and I don't know precisely what you are thinking, so–"
His words were cut off when Artemis spun around in the bed, turning to face him. Awkwardly, Kaldur put his hand back on her hip, letting his eyes linger on the covers.
Artemis: "You've never given any thought to it?"
She asked. Before he could ask her what she meant yet again, she spoke;
Artemis: "How we've kinda been leaning up on each other this past months? How we always seemed to get paired for missions together? How, right now, we're currently in the same bed...?"
Mason: 'THAT DAMN PLAYBOY DID PLAN THIS!'
Mason blushed, and Artemis couldn't see it in the dark.
Mason: "Okay, I have given it a...little bit of thought, but I had thought...assumed...that what we have is platonic at best."
Artemis: "What we have now is...platonic."
Artemis said. The night made her feel bolder, more in control of the words that came from her tongue.
Artemis: "But I had hope that somewhere down the line...it would be a bit more than platonic..."
Her words lingered in the air between them. Mason breathed in slowly, thinking over what she had said.
Mason: "I...I don't know what to say, holy shit. For the first time in a while I'm left baffled."
Artemis: "It's okay."
Artemis said, rolling back over before pressing herself back against him. Mason didn't know if it was for warmth this time, but he still wrapped his arm around her.
Artemis: "We've got the rest of this year or so of this...plenty of time to think Red..."
Mason: "Artemis..."
Artemis: "Hm?"
Mason: "Call me Mason."
Artemis smiles that he finally trusted her enough to tell him his real name. Mason's free hand grabbed hers and which she quickly accepts as the two heroes drift off.
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Little short in between chapter