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schizoauthoress_libraryTitle: Unasked
Author: D.L.SchizoAuthoress
Rating: G
Spoilers: passing reference to events in "Our Worlds at War"; set during the Jimenez run of Wonder Woman vol 2
Warnings: none
Prompt/Fill: none
Word Count: 809
Summary: Artemis doesn't ask a lot of things. (Artemis/Hank)
Note: Henrietta "Hank" Jessup, alias Sojourner, first appeared in WML's "Artemis: Requiem" miniseries. She's literally the only good thing about it.
Unasked
Artemis doesn't ask her to come to Paradise Island. (In fact, she never likes it when Hank slips up and calls it that, but only ever rolls her eyes at the misnomer.) All she says one morning, in a quiet voice, is: "My people need me on Themyscira. With Queen Hippolyta... gone, there is much turmoil."
Hank takes a breath. She wants to ask Artemis to stay, but knows it is too selfish to keep Artemis to herself. Instead, she asks, "Will I be able to see you again?"
Artemis scowls and demands, "What nonsense are you speaking? You'll see me every day! I won't let new duties keep me from coming home at night."
Hank stares at Artemis, trying to process that statement but dreading the possibility of making the wrong assumption. Finally, Hank ventures to ask, "How long to do we have to pack?"
"That depends." A sly smile curves Artemis's mouth. "How long will you take to decide on leaving that filthy old baseball cap of yours behind?"
Hank pouts at the familiar dig and replies petulantly, "As long as it will take me to 'lose' your favorite quiver, Artie."
Artemis laughs and kisses Hank on the mouth, warm and sweet. "All right. Keep the hat, then."
****
"I'm not even going to ask," Artemis sighs.
"Hank taught us how to play!" Hippodamia, one of the Themyscirans, says brightly. "She said it is a warriors' game, and some of the immigrants from Man's World want to set up a competition!"
"You're supposed to be practicing with quarterstaves, not--" Artemis snatches one of the long, slim bats from the loose grip of another player, and brandishes it for emphasis, "these!"
"Okay!" Hank calls out cheerfully, somewhere behind Artemis, "I think Team Two got all the baseballs we lost over batting prac-- oh, hello, Artie."
Someone giggles at the nickname. Luckily, Artemis doesn't see who. She turns to face Hank (and Laris quietly takes back the bat she'd snatched).
Hank looks sweaty and a little out of breath, but she is smiling widely. Her arms are filled with a pile of fist-sized stitched leather balls. Artemis recognizes the equipment readily, although they look handmade rather than machine-stitched as some of Hank's mementos are.
"Hello, Hank," she greets, through clenched teeth. "What have you been doing with yourself?"
"Teaching these ladies all about the great game of baseball!" Hank declares. Her smile dims somewhat when she notices how upset Artemis looks. "Is something wrong?"
"They do have other responsibilities--"
Janestra interrupts, saying, "We've made sure the practice times don't conflict, Polemarch."
"You can't force them to play for your own amusement, Hank!" Artemis scolds.
"Hank didn't coerce anyone," Hippodamia argues, "we volunteered. And we've had fun learning."
"You told me to 'have fun and stay out of trouble' in my new home, Artie." Hank herself points out.
Artemis smiles slightly, and pulls another one of the stitched leather balls from a pocket. "On that second point, Hank... Kaleeza Fashed and Jocasta would like to have a word with you and your girls."
Hank looks confused, but Janestra slaps a hand to her forehead and cries, "The potters! When Laris hit that home run and we couldn't find the ball... it must have hit something they made!"
Hank couldn't help laughing. "Baseball players get into the same trouble everywhere, I suppose. My grandma was none too happy when I broke her parlor window, back when I was nine years old." When she sees that Artemis is still frowning, Hank wilts a little. "We can go somewhere else. Where we won't break things."
"How can we make it up to our sisters?" Nuscia asks.
"You'll have to find out from Jocasta, I think." Artemis replies. She gently tosses the ball so that it lands among the pile cradled in Hank's arms. She smiles sheepishly. "Kaleeza Fashed was too busy yelling at me to be reasoned with."
Hank's expression clears, and she tosses her head to flick back her long, springy curls from her eyes. "Oh, Artemis. Did they blame you for what we did?"
"There was something about 'keep your wife from running wild about the place' in all the shouting and thrown shards of pottery," Artemis says breezily.
Hank stares, mouth slightly agape. "She... she thinks I'm you're wife?"
"She doesn't have to be wrong," Artemis says. "If... you want to be."
The baseballs fall out of Hank's arms, bouncing all over the place as she steps forward and grabs Artemis by the shirt front. "How can you ask me like that?"
"...Is that a 'no'?" Artemis asks, voice shaking slightly.
Hank kisses her hard on the mouth. Some of the other Bana-Mighdall cheer and call out encouragement. Artemis wraps her arms around Hank's shoulders and kisses back enthusiastically.
Hank pulls back and meets her eyes. "That is a yes, Artemis."
*-*-*-*-*
Author: D.L.SchizoAuthoress
Rating: G
Spoilers: passing reference to events in "Our Worlds at War"; set during the Jimenez run of Wonder Woman vol 2
Warnings: none
Prompt/Fill: none
Word Count: 809
Summary: Artemis doesn't ask a lot of things. (Artemis/Hank)
Note: Henrietta "Hank" Jessup, alias Sojourner, first appeared in WML's "Artemis: Requiem" miniseries. She's literally the only good thing about it.
Unasked
Artemis doesn't ask her to come to Paradise Island. (In fact, she never likes it when Hank slips up and calls it that, but only ever rolls her eyes at the misnomer.) All she says one morning, in a quiet voice, is: "My people need me on Themyscira. With Queen Hippolyta... gone, there is much turmoil."
Hank takes a breath. She wants to ask Artemis to stay, but knows it is too selfish to keep Artemis to herself. Instead, she asks, "Will I be able to see you again?"
Artemis scowls and demands, "What nonsense are you speaking? You'll see me every day! I won't let new duties keep me from coming home at night."
Hank stares at Artemis, trying to process that statement but dreading the possibility of making the wrong assumption. Finally, Hank ventures to ask, "How long to do we have to pack?"
"That depends." A sly smile curves Artemis's mouth. "How long will you take to decide on leaving that filthy old baseball cap of yours behind?"
Hank pouts at the familiar dig and replies petulantly, "As long as it will take me to 'lose' your favorite quiver, Artie."
Artemis laughs and kisses Hank on the mouth, warm and sweet. "All right. Keep the hat, then."
****
"I'm not even going to ask," Artemis sighs.
"Hank taught us how to play!" Hippodamia, one of the Themyscirans, says brightly. "She said it is a warriors' game, and some of the immigrants from Man's World want to set up a competition!"
"You're supposed to be practicing with quarterstaves, not--" Artemis snatches one of the long, slim bats from the loose grip of another player, and brandishes it for emphasis, "these!"
"Okay!" Hank calls out cheerfully, somewhere behind Artemis, "I think Team Two got all the baseballs we lost over batting prac-- oh, hello, Artie."
Someone giggles at the nickname. Luckily, Artemis doesn't see who. She turns to face Hank (and Laris quietly takes back the bat she'd snatched).
Hank looks sweaty and a little out of breath, but she is smiling widely. Her arms are filled with a pile of fist-sized stitched leather balls. Artemis recognizes the equipment readily, although they look handmade rather than machine-stitched as some of Hank's mementos are.
"Hello, Hank," she greets, through clenched teeth. "What have you been doing with yourself?"
"Teaching these ladies all about the great game of baseball!" Hank declares. Her smile dims somewhat when she notices how upset Artemis looks. "Is something wrong?"
"They do have other responsibilities--"
Janestra interrupts, saying, "We've made sure the practice times don't conflict, Polemarch."
"You can't force them to play for your own amusement, Hank!" Artemis scolds.
"Hank didn't coerce anyone," Hippodamia argues, "we volunteered. And we've had fun learning."
"You told me to 'have fun and stay out of trouble' in my new home, Artie." Hank herself points out.
Artemis smiles slightly, and pulls another one of the stitched leather balls from a pocket. "On that second point, Hank... Kaleeza Fashed and Jocasta would like to have a word with you and your girls."
Hank looks confused, but Janestra slaps a hand to her forehead and cries, "The potters! When Laris hit that home run and we couldn't find the ball... it must have hit something they made!"
Hank couldn't help laughing. "Baseball players get into the same trouble everywhere, I suppose. My grandma was none too happy when I broke her parlor window, back when I was nine years old." When she sees that Artemis is still frowning, Hank wilts a little. "We can go somewhere else. Where we won't break things."
"How can we make it up to our sisters?" Nuscia asks.
"You'll have to find out from Jocasta, I think." Artemis replies. She gently tosses the ball so that it lands among the pile cradled in Hank's arms. She smiles sheepishly. "Kaleeza Fashed was too busy yelling at me to be reasoned with."
Hank's expression clears, and she tosses her head to flick back her long, springy curls from her eyes. "Oh, Artemis. Did they blame you for what we did?"
"There was something about 'keep your wife from running wild about the place' in all the shouting and thrown shards of pottery," Artemis says breezily.
Hank stares, mouth slightly agape. "She... she thinks I'm you're wife?"
"She doesn't have to be wrong," Artemis says. "If... you want to be."
The baseballs fall out of Hank's arms, bouncing all over the place as she steps forward and grabs Artemis by the shirt front. "How can you ask me like that?"
"...Is that a 'no'?" Artemis asks, voice shaking slightly.
Hank kisses her hard on the mouth. Some of the other Bana-Mighdall cheer and call out encouragement. Artemis wraps her arms around Hank's shoulders and kisses back enthusiastically.
Hank pulls back and meets her eyes. "That is a yes, Artemis."
*-*-*-*-*
