Summary: My take on Wally and Artemis' last night together before the Com Sat mission. Set right before 'Depths'. SPOILERS for Depths if you haven't seen it yet!

Genre: Romance, Angst

Rating: T+ (not exactly M status but heavily hinted at sexy times)

Characters: Wally West, Artemis Crock

A/N: This is for the Anon on Tumblr who asked me to do this...

Bittersweet Surrender

They had been living what felt like a fairy-tale life this past year: moving in with each other, living together, attending the same classes, and sleeping side by side every night. It was too good to be true; Wally and Artemis both knew that, and lived in constant dread that any day or the next, it could all come crumbling down. That's why when, a few days after helping Barry out in Central City, Wally's cell phone rang and it was Dick's name that lit up the screen, he almost felt like pitching the phone out into the middle of Pacific. Not that that would ever deter his best friend.

Wally sighed and hit the answer key. Dick spoke before Wally could even greet him, and the words were not welcome ones.

"Commence Phase 3."

Wally hated Phase 3. He had let that be known loud and clear. Why did it have to be Artemis who had to pretend to be dead? Why did she have to be dragged into this when they were so close to being free from the business? He'd even suggested himself in her place, but Artemis herself had shot down that idea.

"No way, Wally," she had said. "I could never do that to your family. Can you imagine how devastated your parents, or Iris and Barry would be?"

He'd tried to argue that they'd be just as upset at her death as they would be if it was him, but she hadn't bought it. Her own mother having been gone for over a year and a half now, the only person Artemis thought would mourn her (besides the Team and the League) was her sister. But Jade had Roy and Lian, Artemis had argued; she'd be fine.

So, it had been decided that they would fake Artemis' death in order for her to infiltrate Black Manta's crew along with Kaldur. Only the four of them would know, and Artemis would stay undercover with as minimal contact as possible, until either her cover was blown or they had taken down the Light. Wally refused to acknowledge the third, unthinkable option.

That brought them to tonight, the night before the Com Sat launch; his last night with Artemis before she went undercover. They two sat at their kitchen table together, plates scattered around that had been piled high with some of Wally's favorites, but everything seemed to turn to ash in his mouth, and Artemis' cooking wasn't to blame.

"You're being awfully quiet," Artemis remarked. She smirked. "Usually I can't get you to shut up."

He said nothing in reply, but gave her a pointed look. She sighed.

"Babe, I thought we weren't going to do this…" She covered his hand with hers on top of the table. He shifted it so that their palms were flush up against each other and entwined their fingers together.

"I can't just pretend like nothing's happening," Wally told her, feeling frustrated. "Tomorrow's going to change everything."

"And that's why I need tonight, Wally," Artemis pleaded. "I need this one night, right here, with you, before everything is ripped to pieces. Can you do that for me?"

Wally unsuccessfully tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He didn't trust himself to speak without his voice cracking, so instead he simply nodded.

"Are you finished eating?" she asked, pointing to his empty plate.

He nodded again. One hunger had completely vanished, and another had taken its place. This was a hunger that was never satisfied because it was for her. For her, he had never been able to curb his appetite, and though he knew he would never be fully sated, tonight; he intended to try his hardest.

In a matter of a minute, the dishes were off the table, washed, and dried. He placed the last of the plates in the cupboard and shuts the door. Artemis hasn't moved from her chair, but seeing that he was finished, she slowly rose out of it and faced him. Their eyes instantly connected, green on grey, and a multitude of words they don't need to hear said aloud passed between them.I'm here - I love you - Don't be afraid – I can't lose you - I need you tonight.

Wally started forward and Artemis allowed him to pick her up bridal style. She locked her arms around his neck in this familiar position while he maneuvered them to their bedroom. As he kicked the door shut behind him, he leaned down to capture her lips with his. He was aggressive and unrelenting, and he could feel Artemis struggling to keep up but couldn't find the will or even the want to stop. Who knew when the two of them would be together again after tomorrow? It could be 4 weeks or it could be 4 months! Wally wanted to memorize the feeling of her mouth against his, the sound of her breathy little sighs, and the sensation of her fingers running through his hair. He was going to be lost without her; without her presence, without her touch, without this. The thought made him feel even worse, and he moved his mouth even more insistently against hers.

She gasped against his lips and broke away. He trailed kisses as far down her neck as he could go with her turtleneck in the way.

"Wally," she breathed. "We don't have to rush. We have all night."

"That's not long enough," Wally said raggedly into her neck. "Eternity wouldn't be long enough." He paused for a moment. "Don't go," he whispered, his lips ghosting across her ear. He knew she heard him because she stiffened, fingers clutching his hair.

"You know I have to," she responded, her voice soft but steady. She was unwavering, so sure of her duty, like the good little soldier she'd always been, and if this was anything it was war.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," he mumbled, carrying her over to their bed. Gently, Wally set her down on the mattress, following after and settling his weight on top of hers. He couldn't help it when her lips called out to his again and before she could protest, he was devouring her mouth. His exploring tongue was unapologetic as it maneuvered around hers. His hands went to her hair, pulling out her barrette so that he could entangle his fingers in her silky locks.

He could feel his need building, especially when she responded to his touches eagerly. She let him remove her turtleneck, but stopped him from proceeding forward.

"Slow down, Wally," she told him, cupping his face in her hands. "This isn't a race."

But it was. It was a race against time. And Wally could feel the clock ticking closer and closer, like a time bomb that would go off the moment he would have to say goodbye. He let her take the wheel, though, recognizing that she had to be feeling the same way as him. He allowed her to roll them over so that she was on top. From there she divested him of his sweater and began trailing kisses from his mouth, down his neck, across his bare chest, and back again. She torturously rubbed her lower body against his while he tried to exert as much will power as he possibly could. That didn't last for very long.

"Artemis," he moaned, as her fingers flitted across his shoulders.

She paused her ministrations, giving him a opening to turn the tables. He carefully flipped them so that he was on top again, looking down on her flushes figure. He hair was splayed around her, across the pillow, and her lips were deliciously swollen.

"Tonight's going to have to get us through a lot of lonely nights," Artemis whispered, her grey eyes cloudy with a combination of love and lust. "Let's make it count."

They made love several times over as the night wore on. Each time was a little more emotional, a little more bittersweet than the last. They both finally collapsed out of sheer exhaustion, Artemis drifting off to sleep. Wally, however, remained awake, watching over the girl tucked in his arms.

He'd never thought loving someone the way he loved Artemis would be almost as equal parts pain as it was pleasure. The last five years had taught him that sometimes the two went hand in hand. He felt like he was being ripped in two, and was glad for a moment that Dick hadn't asked him to come along on the mission with them.

Come morning she would don her superhero costume once more and be whisked off to the Cave. Then, the mission would go wrong, horribly wrong in a way that he'd only seen happen in his nightmares. Of course, that was all part of the plan that Dick and Kaldur had come up with. It was a sure thing, they'd said. Every detail had been reviewed again and again. Artemis wouldn't be harmed, they all just had to play their parts; Wally included, as the inconsolable boyfriend. What could go wrong?

What indeed, Wally thought darkly. He gazed down at Artemis who had turned on her side in her sleep to face him. He wished he could pick her up and run them both to a deserted island where no one would ever find them: not Dick, or the Team, or the League, or the Light; just him and her for the rest of their lives. It was a selfish thought to be sure, but in light of having to let her go, it was one that he allowed himself to have.

He reached out and pushed a strand of hair that had fallen behind her ear. Leaning over, he whispered as quietly as he could in her ear, "You have to come back to me, beautiful. I can't survive without you."

She stirred and he was afraid he might have woken her up. "Wally," she murmured faintly before laying still again.

He cradled her in his arms loosely. "Right here, babe," he said softly, his eyes not moving from her face.

Lying so close to her, he could feel her heart beating and tried not to think about the pill that he himself had designed to stop her heart for tomorrow's mission. When Dick had suggested it, he realized that there was no one he trusted to do the job correctly more than himself, but that hadn't made him feel any less uneasy.

He couldn't help but think about the ramifications tomorrow would have. He should have fought harder against it; should have offered an alternative measure; should have put his foot down. Didn't he get any say? She was his girlfriend. But no, especially not when it was clear Artemis was going to do this with or without his support. So he had given in, obviously outnumbered. He was sure the decision would eat him alive for the next few months of her absence.

It couldn't be helped now. The plan was already set in motion and to try and sabotage it now would ruin everyone's hard work and put them all at risk. All Wally could do now was savor the few hours he had with Artemis left; and pray to every single deity he'd never believed in before that she would come back to him in one piece.

He settled in for the short, few hours he had left until sunrise, reveling in the feel of her warm body against his. He glanced down at her again, and saw that her lips were curved up in a peaceful smile. He hoped she was dreaming of him; all of his were of her. He could feel sleep threatening to over take him, but he held it off. He could sleep when she was gone, but for now, he didn't want to miss a thing.

I don't want to close my eyes

I don't want to fall asleep

Cause I'd miss you babe

And I don't want to miss a thing

- Aerosmith ( I Don't Want to Miss a Thing)

A/N: Not a new chapter of Evolution of Soul Mates but I didn't think anyone would mind this time. So, Depths...Crazy, crazy, amazing, unbelievable, shit, right? There were several moments when I really couldn't believe that they were going to kill Artemis off and then they hit us with the Cave scene, and Conner being like "He went to tell Wally." ;_; But then it was all okay!

Anyway, I thought I was going to lemon this one up, but I decided not to. Hope you all liked it! Please review and let me know what you think! XD

~ Melissa