Holly shifted her weight, and Artemis moaned in a most un-genius-like way. "Holly!"
Holly stood still, uncomfortably aware how her elbow was digging into Artemis's… midriff. Don't think about it, she told herself firmly.
Artemis and Holly were locked in a cupboard. They had faced the Russian Mafia, Opal Koboi, and Demons, and yet the duo were defeated by a small storage cupboard in Artemis's room. It was pitch black, and Holly was starting to feel claustrophobic.
"Are you sure we can't get out?" she asked.
Artemis detected the note of panic in her voice. "Holly," he said slowly, "just calm down. We need to reasonably consider our options."
Holly reasonably considered punching his head, but decided against it. For one, she would have to find his head first, and then he might fall on her, enclosing the tight space even more. So she kept quiet.
She felt Artemis's had reach out and find her face. "Are you alright?" he asked gently.
Holly leaned against him. At least he cared. "I'm fine," she said, although her voice was higher than she would've liked.
"It's ok to be afraid," said Artemis, stupidly. Holly was not in the mood to be patronised.
"I'm not afraid!" snapped Holly, pulling away. "And if I was, it would only be because I'm stuck with you."
Artemis was hurt. "What's wrong with me?"
Holly rolled her eyes, even though she knew Artemis wouldn't see. "You're infuriating!" she began. "You act like you care, then you turn it into a chance to show how brilliant you are, how smug you are, how much better you are. You only think of yourself."
Holly stopped, and looked to the patch of black where Artemis was, waiting for a reaction.
"You hurt me, Holly. Even brilliant, smug genii have feelings, you know."
"Artemis Fowl? Feelings? Don't make me laugh." Holly shot back.
In fact, Artemis was hurt. He didn't like the image of himself that Holly had painted.
"Am… am I really like that?" he asked uncertainly.
Holly recognised that she actually had upset the mudboy that she now thought of as her friend, so softened her tone a little.
"Sometimes. Ok, a lot of the time. Probably most of the time."
Artemis sank down the wall until he was squished up, sitting on the floor. "Thanks."
Holly sat next to him. "Well, you did ask…"
"So what am I like when I'm not being a brilliant, smug genius?"
The question threw Holly a little. "You're… kind, and gentle." she said. "Genuine."
Artemis was puzzled. "Genuine?"
Holly nodded- he felt her head against his shoulder. "It's like, when you're not in genius-mode, you actually mean things- you mean it when you say you care."
"I do care," said Artemis quietly. About you.
"There you go then," replied Holly. "We have Artemis in non-genius mode. Let's have a party."
She laid her head on Artemis's shoulder.
"I didn't mean to be patronising earlier, when I said about you being afraid…" Artemis said awkwardly.
Holly chuckled. "Sometimes Artemis, you're just like a real teenager."
Artemis felt a tingle across his lips where Holly had kissed him, in the past. He had been an older, 'proper' teenager then; had that made him enjoy it more?
He doubted it.
An hour later, they still hadn't been rescued, although they both felt they knew a lot more about each other. Holly had nearly had a panic-attack, and she was still hugging Artemis, (or was Artemis hugging her?) which they both enjoyed enough not to let go.
Eventually, they fell asleep like that, in each other's arms. And that was how Juliet found them, when she was about to put a Hoover away. She quickly grabbed her phone and took a picture. So sweet… she thought. And now she could Blackmail Artemis…