The Stars Dancing in Her Eyes

Holly flew down to an old oak tree. The water in the river sloshed as it crashed against the walls of its narrow groove. She admired the beauty of the night. The full moon shone brightly amongst the glimmering stars. This brought back some of her childhood memories. When Holly was in preschool, her teacher had told everyone that the world was a like big painting. The gods found the most beautiful paints and got the biggest canvas… that was when the moment was ruined.

Of course Holly was the one to ask, "But we aren't living in the world the gods gave us? Why would the gods make the world for them?" Her teacher frowned and suggested they move on to arithmetic. Holly wished she hadn't said that. Maybe she just cared too much.

Holly bent down and picked up an acorn. That's when she spotted it. A little piece of paper at the base of the tree. Out of curiosity, she picked up the little section of paper and looked to see what it was. It was a note written in Gnommish. It read: Look carefully at the tree.

Holly did as the card said. She looked closely and walked all around until she saw it. It was a carving in the tree.

Artemis +

She smirked. Holly couldn't help but know that Artemis had liked her. Just the little things, like the way he looked at her and smiled at her. How he was kind to her and offered assistance whenever she needed it. Foaly had said he was just being a good friend until he snooped in his files and found something locked with a password he couldn't place his finger on. Yet he still denied it, saying it was just his personal diary.

Holly had to go in and sneak into his computer. The password on his computer was the day he kidnapped her. The password to his files was her birthday. Now she was in his diary, except for one document which was locked with a code also. She typed in her name. Nothing. His birthday. Access denied. Think, Holly, think. What could it be?

She racked her brain to find the answer. Something struck her. Every time Artemis wanted to see her, she would ask to gather at the old oak, where they had first met. She entered the location in latitude and longitude. His very secret diary told her everything about what he felt. While she read, she felt very sorry for him. In the way Artemis had described his feelings, it seemed utterly forbidden. And to him, it was. He was happy and scared at the same time.

But Holly had been too clumsy. Artemis walked through the door and saw her looking at his very personal diary. Holly could still remember the look of absolute shock and horror. Then it faded into embarrassment and shame mixed in with fear. They hadn't seen each other in almost a year. It was October, so that meant his birthday had just passed. He was nineteen. He was a mud man, but Holly still couldn't accept it. Everyone thought he was twenty-two. Well, the humans anyways.

How long had that carving been on the tree? What if he waited every full moon for her to come and see it? What if he was there now? Holly felt a chill go down her spine. She continued to place the acorn in the ground and have her magic returned. She then took out a knife and changed that carving.

Artemis + Holly

Holly smiled at her handy work. She wasn't surprised when she turned around and saw a tall shadow. She looked at him. At first she saw a boy with an evil smirk playing on his lips and a greedy twinkle in his eye. Then she saw a man with gentle smile and a tender gaze. "Hey." Holly said. She wanted him to say something back but he didn't. Instead he walked over to her and pressed his lips against hers. They say that the lightest touch gives the greatest sensation. Holly was feeling that sensation.

This was all so strange, and Holly became alarmed. She was kissing a mud man. She tried to force him off of her, but she felt weak. Weaker than she should have felt. Artemis noticed her struggling and kissed her deeper with earnest. He knew the moment wouldn't last and she would leave him, never to come back until the next emergency. But she did something much unexpected. She let him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pushed her back so she felt the bark of the oak rubbing against her back. A flash of light made her open her eyes. Holly let go of his lips and gasped, pointing up at the sky. "Artemis! Look!" Artemis turned around to see tiny little speckles of light darting through the sky. He looked at his watch.

"It's the 21st." he said smiling, "It's the Orionids- a meteor shower." Holly beamed as if she had never seen such beauty in all her life. The glow of the moon dimmed some of the shooting stars, but most of them were visible.

"Artemis," she muttered, still gaping. "Oh Artemis it's beautiful! You don't know how many fairies would kill to see a star shower!" Artemis just looked down at the small elf, gazing at the sky. She was so small and delicate. He sat down with his back to the oak and the carving. Holly glanced at Artemis who wasn't looking at the stars. He was looking at her. But it was a look no one had ever given her before.

The same gaze she had given to the stars; as if he had never seen anything so beautiful. So she walked back to him and sat between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Artemis?" she asked. "Why don't you look at the stars, instead of me?" She strained to look up at him, and he looked down at her with that same look.

"Because I see them dancing in your eyes." Holly smiled to herself and together, the tiny elf and the young human watched the stars dance together.

I know, right? Some fluff over here! Okay, that was very OOC-ish but I love it. There is a star show in this October but the moon is in its waxing gibbous stage instead of full and I don't know what showers would be in October of 2011 (which is what I calculated to be the timeline of this fiction). Please review and read some of my other short fictions. I like to have variety but they are mostly romance, humour and angst.

Your Evil and Hopelessly Romantic Authoress,
Shannon