*Sighs and looks away* Would anyone believe me if I said it was still Christmas where I live?
You see, I was going to be mature about bad reviews I get, but one wasn't even critiquing my work. Just insulting me. Critiquing is fine, as some people already have and I am really grateful for that. But now it seems like my 5 year old side needs to come out.
This is a TEEN rated Fanfic. So, yes, there will be some things that kids should not be reading. But no, I will not have sex and smut scenes that go farther than the TEEN rated setting. And for people to get upset at a few words like straddling, thighs, and sex...Well, you are probably not a teenager and should not be reading this in the first place. Can I get a hell yeah?!
Anyway, I said from the beginning that there would be TEEN scenes in this, but they would not go over the tv rating TV-14. And, if you still don't get it...THAT IS A TEEN RATING SHOW! So if you don't watch Vampire Diaries, NCIS, Pretty Little Liars, or anything else that says TV-14 at the top when the show starts...DON'T READ THIS.
Phew. Just had to get that out. Feel much better. Sorry about it. As for another comment (one I am not pissed off at, but am grateful for) I am sorry to tell you that the love connection between Artemis and Holly will be going unusually fast. In fact, I intend for the two to realize that. However, there will be drama...I just have to fit it all into 12 Chapters.
"So, what is on the agenda for today?" Holly asked the next morning, folding her nightclothes back into her suitcase. She had barely looked at Artemis since her wanton thoughts the night before. Just thinking about them made the elf's cheeks flare up to a tomato red shade. One that her old mentor, Julius Root, would be proud of. She shook her head to try and get rid of her embarrassing thoughts, Holly had more important things to worry about.
Upon turning around, she almost tumbled right into Artemis, who had just come out of the bathroom from a shower and was dressed in a fresh suit. He was rubbing his hair with a towel, trying to dry it faster. The man frowned at the sudden deer-in-the-headlights look she gave him. "You alright, Captain?" He walked around her, not looking back at the elf.
"Y-Yeah." She stuttered. Gods, get your head together before he realizes something!
"Alright. Well, to be honest...I have no other work for myself. However...The boys have been badgering me to go outside and play in the snow." He scowled, looking in the mirror and setting the now damp towel down on the dresser.
"You should keep your hair like that." Holly added, not thinking about what was actually coming out of her mouth. "It looks better."
Artemis paused, his hand midair with a comb in it. He turned to Holly, his black hair dancing messily with him. "It does?"
Down right sexy. Holly thought, widening her eyes because of what she was still thinking and what had actually slipped out of her big mouth. "Kind of." She replied, breaking the-once again-intense eye contact. "It makes you look...I don't know, younger. Like, instead of Thirty-five." Well, she had to say something.
The man cocked his head to the right at what she said, "Younger? Holly, I think we've had this conversation before. I need people to take me seriously. Not some kind of amateur whose father lent him the business for the day."
"You said it yourself, you aren't going to do any work today." Holly argued, staying with her point. "Either way...It will just get messed up again when we are outside and playing with your brothers." Holly smirked, knowing that he was not happy with that.
Indeed, the genius winced at the idea of snow and outside and...playing. It was outrageous to him. He hadn't done that since the twins were little and Beckett wanted him to play Trouble. It was a cavemen game.
And he wasn't just thinking that because a 4 year old beat him.
"I really would like to stay inside instead. Its…" He trailed off, and Holly's smirk grew even more.
"Drier?" She finished. "Oh, come on, Arty!" The elf pouted, "Don't be such a stick in the mud. It'll be fun! Have you even had a snowball fight before?"
The mastermind quirked an eyebrow, "Have you?" He speculated about Haven and the seasons influence on it.
Holly nodded, "Yes. When I was little. My mom…" She looked down, her tone saddening a bit in the memory. The elf yanked at the chain with her Book on it. "My mom and dad took me to this park every year. It had all the seasons in it so no one had to go to the surface for just that reason. My favorite was the winter. Even though elves aren't suppose to like snow, and my dad complained about it every chance he could...Mom would just smash some snow in his face and tell him to get over it." She smiled at the thought, putting on a sad smile as she worried that Artemis might bring up the sore topic of her parents. He didn't.
The man knew that Holly didn't like to talk about her mother and father much, so whenever she did talk about them, he would shelve it. It was the way she told the stories...Her voice sweet and soft, but bitter and upset at the same time. They were normally happy tales, as though she didn't want to taint the image of them she had in her mind. He sighed, "Fine."
Holly was interrupted in her thoughts, looking at him with confusion. "Fine what?"
Artemis walked towards her, "Fine, I will keep my hair down and fine I will encourage a snowball fight with my brothers later. On one condition…" He put his hand on her shoulder, looking deep into her eyes.
"What?" The elf said, almost breathless from Artemis putting his hand on her. She looked back with wide, practically innocent eyes. Oh Gods, what's going to happen? He looks like he wants to kiss me again. Is he? Oh please...What the hell is going on with me?
"You are on my team." He answered simply. "Because I am going to have a hard enough time fending myself off from Beckett. Nevermind if you gang up on me and go after the weak ones."
Reality settled on Holly and she blinked blindly, almost like she was being taken out of a trance. "Y-Yeah." There was that damn stutter again. "Sure thing, Arty."
The genius smiled, patting her shoulder and turning to go out the door. "You had better dress in something warmer."
Holly's eyes widened as she realized this. If the elf was going to be outside in the cold, the Irish cold, she would need more gear for such occasion. However, rifling through the suitcases that Artemis packed for her, she realized that there was no heavy coat. How the hell do I look at him as a genius now? She thought, rolling her eyes. So, Holly picked out a few long sleeve shirts and a couple of snow pants, along with a pair of socks for every toe she had.
Yeah...Elves did NOT like the cold.
Holly looked in the mirror, then back at the clothes, wondering how she will be able to walk after she got all of these articles of clothing on...But then she thought about how Artemis acted, rolling her eyes and dropping the heavy clothes on top of her silver suitcase.
Artemis was in the family room with his family and the Butlers, Beckett hopping up and down across from him. The genius looked over at Holly before draping his arm across her shoulders. "Nice of you to join us, Holly. I was just telling the boys about our plans to go outside today."
"That's great, Artemis." She chimed, but then looked upset. "But the thing is, I didn't pack a winter coat!" Of course, this was totally fake, and Artemis opened his mouth to say something, when Angeline interjected.
"Oh, that's alright. You can borrow one of mine." She smiled, walking down to the halls, "Come now, dear."
Holly's eyes widened, but she laughed nonetheless, "Thank you, Mrs. Fowl." The elf shot a smirk at Artemis, who frowned just slightly. He thought that it was his point of escape.
Ha! That's what the Mud Brat gets. Trying to trick everyone with that innocent, kissable smile of-HOLLY! She shook her head and stopped in the dim hallway for a second. She needed to stop thinking like this to keep sane.
Angeline stuck her head outside of her room. "Are you alright, Holly?"
The elf looked at her with surprise, "Yes, of course."
The woman smiled before gesturing for her to come in.
The room was rather big, light yellow colored the walls and the carpet a lavish cream. A king size bed sat to the opposite wall from the door and the curtains were pulled open to let the early morning light shine in instead of turning on the actual light. It gave the room an elegant feel as Holly watched Angeline walk to her closet on the left.
"You seem like a person who gets cold quite easily." Angeline called from the closet. "Here." She came out and handed her a white, thick coat with a fur lining. Holly stared at it for a moment, her stomach churning.
"Umm...Is that...Real fur?" The elf asked, making an effort not to throw up.
"Of course not!" Mrs. Fowl exclaimed, making a disgusted face as she looked at the coat. "It's faux, like I would ever wear something made of a poor, defenseless creature."
Remember that if Artemis ever tells you what I really am. She thought, taking the coat gratefully. "Thank you." Although, if this charade keeps playing like he wants, she never will.
"Of course, dear." She said, smiling her prize winning grin. Holly was about to turn around and leave the room when the older woman spoke up again. "So...You and Artemis…." Angeline spoke slowly, "Is it serious?"
Holly nodded and forced a smile onto her face, "Yes. We love each other very much." The words just slipped out of her mouth without the elf thinking about what she was actually saying.
"Oh, I can tell." Angeline rejoiced, "The way he looks at you when you are looking...I've never seen him so happy. It makes me extremely happy to know that Artemis can be so joyful. Especially during the holidays."
Holly smiled, exhaling a bit. "Your son is...Very special to me."
"I'm glad to hear that. And I'm sure he feels the same about you."
Not too sure about that… Holly thought. "Well, thank you again for the coat, Mrs. Fowl-"
"Call me Angeline, dear." The older woman interjected.
"Angeline." The name was strange and foreign on her tongue. "We should get back though, before Arty changes his mind."
Mrs. Fowl nodded, walking after Holly with a big smile on her face. They found everyone in the other room like they left, except Juliet was struggling with Beckett to get his snow gear on.
"Beckett, you have to wear this." The blond woman insisted, holding out the heavy coat and scarf to the eight year old.
"No!" He exclaimed, crossing his arms over his red sweater and turning his head away childishly. "I don't wanna look like a marshmallow!"
Juliet sighed and rolled her eyes, looking back at her brother, who just shrugged. She then looked at Artemis and his father, sitting on the couches across from each other who shook their heads helplessly.
"Oh, but Marshmallows are so yummy!" Holly said walking over and taking the coat from Juliet's hands, the wrestler handing them over gratefully. "Anyway, this coat has superpowers." She knelt down in front of the young boy. "When you put it on, you blend in with the snow, so you can surprise attack anyone you want. Plus, this helps you make a lot of snowballs at one time and then you can throw them really far." She added a bit a mesmer for the next part, but not a lot so no one thought it was strange. "So, put the coat on."
"Cool!" Beckett's face broke out into a grin as he took the dense cloth from the elf, putting it on himself. Holly smiled back, standing up and turning around, but stopped.
Myles, Angeline, and Artemis Sr. were all staring at her with shocked expressions. Butler, Juliet, and Artemis were all aware of how good Holly was with persuasion, but they weren't. Holly cleared her throat. "Well, we should get outside and start, right?" She tried to make herself sound innocent, but it came a bit forced and choked.
Artemis got up, nodding. "Yes." He was a bit stunned as well, but that was only because he was nervous about being suspected. "Now that everyone is ready, thanks to you." He smiled down at her and Angeline sighed theatrically.
"Alright, let's go then!" Juliet said hurriedly, before Mrs. Fowl made Artemis and Holly kiss again. Not that she wouldn't love teasing the two about the first kiss, but she knew that Holly and Artemis were already uncomfortable with each other. She didn't need Holly attacking Artemis because he stepped over some limit. Even if it would be very entertaining, she also promised them she would help. The blond ushered the twins and her brother out the door, Artemis' parents walking right after them, leaving Artemis and Holly alone.
"Here." Artemis remarked, taking the coat from the elf's arms and opening it for her. Holly smiled and put her arms through the sleeves, buttoning it herself.
"Thank you."
"You are most welcome, Miss Short." He responded grandly. Holly had to hold back a content sigh at that. Control yourself, Holly. She reminded herself.
As soon as the door to outside opened, Holly shivered uncontrollably. Gods, it was cold outside. It had snowed the night before, so fresh, powdered snow covered the old. If she were still in elf form, she would have been close to drowning in the white slush. She thanked Artemis silently, but her ears still quivered in the low temperature.
"Come on, Holly!" Beckett called from a little hill, pushing a snowball almost half his size and trying to make it even bigger. The elf smiled, dashing over to the boy to help. They spent the next 15 minutes making a snowman, Beckett finding some rocks to act as eyes and buttons and Myles worrying about the symmetry of the snowballs.
"If they are not proportionally correct, then it will topple over!" He ranted, circling the frozen object, scrutinizing it with glaring eyes. His brother rolled his eyes, pushing the little genius away a bit. However, Myles was about as physically adapt as Artemis and fell to the snow, now turning his glare to Beckett, who was putting the eyes.
Juliet skipped over and put the nose in: a carrot she got from the kitchen inside. "There, it's done."
Beckett stepped back to look at it, squinting his eyes. "No…" The boy commented, "It's missing something."
"Maybe a top hat." Artemis Sr. suggested, cocking his head to the right alongside his blonde son. "I'm sure I can find one inside."
As the man turned and walked back into the Manor, Holly smiled, "Maybe with a little magic he'll come to life."
Artemis pulled her closer from behind, holding her in a pretend loving gesture as he whispered in the elf's ear. "Are you serious? Your magic can do that?"
Holly smirked, turning back to look at the man behind her. She knew that The Book didn't have very specific information of ALL the functions of fairy magic. "Where do you think Frosty the Snowman came from?"
His eyes widened. It wouldn't be expected the Artemis Fowl actually knew who the animated character was, but it was yet another Christmas tradition to watch specials until the boys fell asleep on Christmas Eve. Holly pushed away from him to separate herself from him before the genius realized her heart was about to jump out of her chest by holding her that close. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Artemis fully. "I know what the snowman needs, Beckett. Neckwear." Before Artemis could realize what she said, the elf grabbed his tie and took it off in one tug. "Here you go."
"Whoa, how did you know how to do that so fast? It takes me forever." Beckett looked at the black tie in wonder before handing it to Myles, who knew how to put it on.
"Lots of practice." Angeline muttered with a smile on her face and a suggestive light in her eyes. Her voice was soft enough to keep it out of the little ones ears, but loud enough that Artemis and Holly heard it. Artemis turned to the elf, whose eyes were wide and her mouth agape.
"Blunt." He mouthed, an "I told you so" look in his eyes. Holly broke out into a laugh and rolled her eyes.
It was after Artemis Sr. came back with the hat that Beckett was satisfied enough to move onto the next task. Butler had spent the time being making the walls of the snowball fight because he believed it was essential. After all, Myles and Artemis needed some protection from wild Beckett.
"The boys outnumber the girls, so how are we going to divide this?" Juliet reported, looking at everyone. At least there was an even number.
"Well, it seems unfair if Artemis and Myles are on the same team." Holly commented, Artemis nodding in agreement. "So, how about Artemis, Juliet, Angeline, and I are on one team. That makes Beckett, Myles, Mr. Fowl, and Butler are on the other." This way, it works in with the deal that I made with him before.
"Alright." Beckett nodded, "Makes sense anyway. Artemis throws like a girl." He teased.
"You told him to say that!" Artemis accused, turning to Holly. Even though his tone was serious, he was grinning like a mad man. He knew her more than anyone.
The elf shrugged, looking away. "Maybe…" She trailed off, biting her lip as she tried-and failed-to not smile.
Artemis was saving this for a later time, as in when the fight actually started and they were hidden behind the barrier, but he stooped down anyways, grabbing a handful of snow and before Holly could protest, he smashed it in her face.
The elf scooped the snow out of her eyes, looking at Artemis with the biggest smile on her face. She knew he only did that because of the story she told him before about her parents, and Holly almost started crying right then and there. Calm down, Holly. Just...say something. Get your mind off of it. "Fowl…" She trailed off threateningly.
The genius feigned the look of terror. "Uh oh." He jestered, scrambling away. Holly jumped at him playfully, but the cold ice in her face was effecting her more than the elf let on. And Artemis knew that. He knew she wouldn't be able to function normally.
"Alright you two, lovebirds, let's start the game." Angeline rolled her eyes, however the smile on her lips told it all. Holly shook off the rest of the snow and cold before going to the left barrier with Artemis, Angeline, and Juliet.
Juliet shouted over the barrier to the others, "Ok! You know the rules! Beckett, don't cross the barrier and try to do to Artemis what he just did to Holly, like last time."
It was then that the war commenced. Snow flew everywhere, the air filling with white. Holly screeched, ducking to the ground as she realized she underestimated being on the opposite team as Butler The elf did not want to be hit with snow again. She found that the snow at the park her parents took her was most likely fake and a whole lot warmer than real snow.
Artemis was doing the same thing Holly thought he would do: hide behind the barrier. The elf gave him a look and he shrugged. Apparently, this was what he meant by the deal. Holly sighed, rolling her eyes. She gave him another look, a more pleading look, that made him sit up unhappily. She looked over the barrier before crawling over to him.
"I bet you just love this." He snapped, "With all your LEP training you could wipe everyone out."
Holly smiled at his obvious discomfort, "Oh, but I won't. I want this to go end as late as possible. Unless, of course, you actually participate. Then I might try harder."
"You…" He trailed off, cursing himself for not knowing she would pull this. "Fine. I'll...Try. Hey, Holly-" He grabbed her arm as she turned around to get back in her position. "Are you okay? I hope you realize that before, I wasn't trying to hurt you. I wouldnt do that-"
"I know, Artemis. I know you were only trying to make me happy. I'm not mad or hurt. I'm just…" She looked away, "Christmas just overwhelms me. It's personal and has nothing to do with you or any of this, so I would appreciate if we could just drop this. Please."
The genius let go of her arm, nodding silently. Holly sighed with relief and returned to her position. Artemis did try his best, but when it came to physical activities, well...we all know he was downright terrible. Even with training from Butler, Juliet, and Beckett, he would most likely still be terrible. It was just in his genes.
In other words, Artemis sucked at the whole concept of a snowball fight.
First of all, he did not know how to make a snowball. Every year, he ducked behind the barrier with his phone he snuck out in his pocket, usually closing out business days. The mastermind knew that Holly would throw it on the roof if she caught him doing that. I mean, he could make one, it didn't take a rocket scientist to do that. However, like Myles was before with the snowman, Artemis had to make it perfectly. It bothered him if the genius did not know the exact weight and size of the snowball because of the trajectory he had to throw it. He believed that physics was the key to it. And never mind actually throwing the ball.
Secondly, he did not like being hit. Of course, no one liked being hit with ice clenched precipitation, but still...Artemis liked it even less. Being unbalanced and clumsy as he already was, the man usually fell right over with one measly hit.
And thirdly...Artemis Fowl the Second was targeted. Playing this game rarely enough as it is, whenever someone had the chance to throw a white object at him, they always took it. And Holly instantly realized this.
As soon as Artemis got together some snow and formed it into a nicely packed snowball, he got up to throw it over the barrier when literally all eyes on the opposite team focused on him. Before he could gather his thoughts together, the snow was being thrown his way. Holly's eyes widened as she saw it and threw herself towards him, knocking the genius to the ground.
With her right on top of him.
Even with her face reddened with the cold, it seemed to deepen even more as she lay on Artemis, her breathing hard. Holly had been freezing herself up until then. However, as she looked into Artemis' eyes, she felt warmed by his gaze; his hands around her waist. It was then that the closet scene that happened last night popped into her head for the first time in hours. His hair was messed up and clinging to his forehead in strands from the frozen water and the genius did nothing to stop the intense eye contact between them.
"Thank you." He muttered quietly. "I most likely would have gotten knocked unconscious from that, knowing me." Oh Gods, is she going to kiss me now? He thought to himself, She looks like it, maybe I should help and lean-no. She isn't. Get your head out of the clouds.
It was Holly who broke the eye contact, looking at the snow beside his head. "Knowing you, I probably should have known you would have become the number one victim." She smiled down at him, and for a second, she realized the same thing he did at that exact moment. The elf wanted to kiss him. Suddenly, their closeness felt very more...intimate. It was as though a veil surrounded them, as they noticed no one but themselves for the time being. The haze was thick, suffocating almost as the two looked at each other and crept closer. Inch by inch until-
"Alright!" Juliet jumped up with her hands high in the air. "We surrender!" Her voice made Artemis and Holly realize the present around them and jump back, shocked. Holly clambered back, away from Artemis as he propped himself up on the cold snow.
"Artemis, Holly, why don't you stay here with Myles and Beckett to help them build a igloo." She passed them, putting her hand on her son's shoulder, "Or at least try."
The mastermind chuckled, "Yes, mother." He watched Juliet and Angeline walk into the house, Artemis Sr. following them. Holly ran off towards the boys, leaving Butler and Artemis behind them.
"I'm slipping." Artemis confessed, soft enough that he knew Holly wouldn't hear in front of them.
Butler gave him a confused look. "From what? You two are doing great. Fooling even me sometimes."
The genius sighed, "That's my point. The objective isn't to fall in love with her. Besides...Holly has made it pretty clear that she wants nothing to do with me in that way."
The Eurasian gave him a side glance, "And...She told you this…?"
Artemis waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, "No, of course not. However, after the..incident that happened last night, Holly proceeded to tell me that she needed a warning the next time. A warning! She needs to brace herself for me to kiss her. I think that is proof enough."
Butler had to hold back a chuckle at this. However, he wouldn't say anything to the young man, as he was there to protect him, not give him love life advice.
It was around dusk when Juliet called from the door. Artemis was glad at that-for he couldn't stand another second in the cold temperature and the now somewhat heavy snowfall that had started half an hour before. The genius tried to reason with Beckett, but the boy did not want to go inside.
However, the blonde seemed to know the magic word, "Hot chocolate!"
Immediately, Beckett's head poked up from the snow all of a sudden, a giant grin on his face. "Yay!" He exclaimed, and ran to the door faster than a speeding bullet and into the house. Myles went with Beckett and Artemis waited for Holly.
"How did you manage to survive this?" He asked, his curiosity peaked. She shivered and the genius put an arm around her in hopes to get her warmer.
The elf shrugged as she walked, looking at the snow covered ground instead of up at him. Now that Artemis thought of it, she hadn't talked or even looked at him much ever since before. She licked her lips before speaking, "I ran around a lot. Produced some body heat."
Artemis nodded like he understood and they entered the Manor. Instantly, the smell of hot chocolate and homemade cookies hit Holly's nose. Which, in turn, made the Captain's eyes tear up. She fought them back hard, and managed to make it to Artemis' room before one slipped out.
Fortunately, Artemis' back was turned at that moment and Holly was able to wipe the salty liquid from her cheek. Get your frickin head together, Short. She cursed in her mind, And stop acting so weird around Artemis. Sure! You almost kissed him...Who cares? He...probably noticed though, right? No...Who are you kidding? This is Artemis Fowl the Second. He wouldn't know what love is if I ran up and kissed him right now. Why the hell do you want to kiss him so badly? She battled herself in her brain, feeling as though her head was going to explode.
"You should wear something comfortable." Artemis broke her from the internal struggle as he turned around and handed her some sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Here." He moved around her suitcase to get to his closet.
"What…" The elf cleared her throat in hope to get rid of the raspy edge to it. "What are you going to wear?"
Artemis turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow before going into his closet. "My normal suit and tie look, of course. What else would I wear?"
Holly winced before shaking her head, glad she found something to talk to him about instead of having an awkward conversation about before. "I thought you said it was best to wear comfortable clothing?"
Artemis emerged from the small space, popping his collar back into place after he finished tying his tie. "This is comfortable." He gestured to his newly pressed, dark suit.
Now it was Holly's turn to arch her eyebrow, "No offense, Artemis...But it looks like you have a stick shoved up your ass."
The man kept a calm expression as he looked at her, "Holly, I am comfortable dressed like this."
Holly crossed her arms over her chest, "Artemis, you are not comfortable. You just think you are because you haven't worn anything else in your entire life."
Artemis knew that look on her face. "Oh, no. Nope. You already convinced me to have my hair this ridiculous way for the time being. You are not going to dictate on my evening attire either."
The elf looked at him as if to say: Wanna bet?
He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Fine." Artemis exclaimed, throwing his hands up in surrender. "You will probably be glaring at me all night, so 'fix' what you must."
Holly smiled, walking over to the genius and scanning him. "Glad you finally see this my way, Fowl." After another moment of contemplation, she tilted her head to the side and reached up, taking off his tie for the second time that day in one fluid motion.
The mastermind looked at his abandoned tie as Holly laid it on Artemis' desk neatly. "Som where did you learn how to do that? I'm pretty sure what my mother implied before is not true, correct?"
The woman sighed, "Of course it's not true, Artemis. I don't go sleeping around." She looked at him again before taking off his suit jacket and putting it next to his tie.
"W-What, Holly?" He did not like what she was doing to him. However, the man did not fight her. In fact, he realized that the only thing that disturbed him was he had to face his family like this. Not that she was undressing him. He shook his head to get rid of the thought. "Then...How did you learn how to-"
"My father." She interrupted, starting to untuck his shirt from his pants. "After my mother died, he went into a really deep depression." She scoffed lightly, shaking her head. "Compared to him, my recurring nightmares were childish. He would come home from a work day at his business drunk. I was glad that I wasn't a child at the time or else I wouldn't have understood, wouldn't have been strong enough to get him safely to bed."
Artemis stepped away from Holly, causing her to stop and look up, sad eyes and a frown on her face. "Holly...I never knew-"
"Of course you didn't. The only person who actually knows is Foaly...Maybe Root since he knew my parents from before." The elf looked down. "I-I don't like to talk badly about my parents." She started to mess with his clothes again, but the man stepped back out of her reach again.
"I'm glad you told me." He said softly. It was quiet for a moment, both of them not sure what to say. Holly looked at the floor, uncomfortable. Artemis gazed at the elf his eyes still a bit wide and sad from what his friend told him. After a while, it was the genius who broke the awkward silence. He gestured to himself, "Are you done?" He asked, while untucking the part of his dark blue button-down shirt that Holly hadn't gotten to.
His voice broke the woman out of her self-induced trance. She scrutinized him again, and for a moment Holly wanted to unbutton his shirt, just to see his reaction. Just to see what he looked like, despite the reaction she would get. However, she dismissed this other crude thought immediately, shivering subconsciously as the elf internally rolled her eyes. Gods, Holly thought, I really am going mental.
The shiver, however, made Artemis aware that she was still dressed in the damp, cold clothes. "Here." He murmured, unbuttoning the coat around her shoulders. Holly froze at the touch, not expecting it.
Artemis noticed her lack of breathing and smirk, "What?" He asked, honestly curious. The mastermind smirked, not stopping the words from coming out of his mouth as he remarked a sliver huskily. "Not very fair if you can strip me but I can't do the same to you."
Right when he said it, Artemis immediately regretted it. "H-Holly." But by then, the elf had backed off and ran into the bathroom, closing the door.
When the genius heard the click of the lock, he groaned. What the hell was he thinking? Artemis started pacing his room, running a hand through his ebony hair. Frond, she was probably freaking out ten times worse than he was at the moment.
What am I going to say to her? He thought frantically, I probably seem like a freak to her now. Looking at the door, he went to straighten his tie out of habit, but found that it wasn't there anymore. Artemis sighed, walking to the door to go and knock.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
As soon as she closed the door to the bathroom, Holly braced her back against it and took a deep ragged breath, locking the door.
She couldn't control herself like this. Artemis was taking it a bit too far for her with that. Maybe he was just kidding, just helping her. Or maybe not.
Oh, Gods. She thought, trying to calm her quick heart rate. What am I doing? Why the hell am I hiding? This is ridiculous….
But what if it isn't? The other side defended. What if he really likes you? After all, he did think of you out of everyone he knows to be his girlfriend.
NO! Holly fought herself. Don't think like that. Don't make yourself sick over him. Besides, you're the only girl he knows besides Juliet and Minerva. He can't go pretending that Juliet is his girlfriend because Butler wouldn't cooperate with it. And Angeline probably knows Minerva. It had to be you, because of the process of elimination.
The elf sucked in another deep, deep breath, finally calming herself as she had made a final decision. However, she must have still been stunned by Artemis' words before because she jumped when there was a knock on the door behind her.
Holly put on a straight face as she turned around and opened the door hesitantly. She fought that face hard when she saw Artemis there, his eyebrows raised with a slight bit of nervousness. "Holly, I-"
"Don't worry, Mud Boy." The woman said, circling around him to get the clothes she dropped before. "I know you were just joking. No need to apologize. I freaked out when I clearly shouldn't have. Right?"
Go with that. "Of course, Holly. You needn't worry about that." He managed to pull off one of his infamous vampire smirks. "After all, I have been called funny before."
Holly snorted, "Yeah...Funny looking." She smiled back at him, a little too sweetly, before disappearing in the bathroom with her change of clothes.
"That is it!" The man called after her, aggravated. "I'm not leaving this room to be presented like this." He went to start tucking his shirt in when Holly opened the door again, dressed in the sweatpants and t-shirt. She put her hands on her hips when she saw him.
"Don't you dare." She deadpanned, and Artemis looked up and stopped himself, silently thanking the Gods that it was Juliet he sent out to get the clothes and not himself. (Juliet was just glad to be shopping, no questions asked at the time.) The grey long-sleeved t-shirt was a little tight on her, showing the caramel skin of her stomach, the pants hanging on her hips loosely. He shook his head, quickly, looking away from Holly and his vulgar thoughts.
Running a hand through his smooth-and loose-hair, Artemis took a deep breath. "Shall we go and get this night over with? i already hear the ridicule i will get once you leave."
This time, the smirk came from Holly. "Good. And let's."
By the time the "couple" got to the family room, everyone was there. They were dressed out of their outside, snow-covered clothes and sitting on the couches and chairs in the room. Beckett and Myles-more so Beckett-were sitting on the carpeted floor by the coffee table, eating the sugar cookies and drinking hot chocolate. The little blonde boy already had a chocolate moustache covering his top lip to just under his nose.
Everyone was talking cheerfully, Juliet chattering away with Angeline and Butler talking sophisticatedly with Butler as they had no other duties for the night.
The talking soon died once Artemis and Holly stepped into the room. However, it was mostly because of Artemis. The man shied away from the looks a bit, not used to the attention from his family. Holly looked over at him, waiting for him to go first, but the genius didn't move an inch. Sighing, the undercover elf grabbed his arm and led him to the loveseat next to his parent's and across from the roaring fireplace.
"Wow…" Even Juliet seemed surprised by this as she trailed off, looking over Artemis. "This is a big change."
Artemis did his best to sit up straight, but felt quite uncomfortable. The mastermind felt underdressed, as though he was naked instead of looking casual.
Well, to be fair...Artemis Fowl would probably rather be in that situation than in this one. Without the scarring of his little brothers, of course.
It was Holly who spoke up next, making her tone sound casual and not at all noticeable with the spotlight they were getting. "Oh, yeah. I convinced Artemis to try something different today. More like a challenge, and I think we all know how he gets with that." She hugged her "boyfriend's" arm lovingly.
Angeline nodded, "Of...Course." She agreed slowly, still letting the image in front of her process in her brain.
"You look weird." Beckett remarked, making a strange, confused face at his older brother. Myles, however, looked unfazed as he continued nibbling on the red and green sugar cookie in his hand. "But it's a good kind of weird."
Holly smiled at this, giving Artemis an "I-told-you-so" look. However, even the elf was having a hard time keeping a straight face with him pouting and scowling like that at her. "Oh, calm down." She said quietly, leaning into him. "It's only for a little while."
Artemis didn't even respond, ignoring the woman. Holly smirked again, not able to hold it back that time. There was another awkward silence before someone spoke again.
"I was thinking that we could put the Christmas tree up tomorrow." Angeline mused, a small smile on her face.
The genius besides Holly scrunched his eyebrows, "The day before Christmas Eve isn't tomorrow, Mother, it's the day after tomorrow."
"I know that, Arty. However, I believe that the boys are old enough to realize they do not run around the house like barbarians, especially next the the Christmas tree." Her voice was pointed towards Beckett, who just smiled along like they were saying something positive about him. Angeline couldn't help but smile back at the blonde boy and take another sip from the wine glass in her hand. The woman's eyes widened mid-sip as though she had just remembered something vitally important. "Oh! Holly, I am so sorry. Would you like some wine?"
Now it was Holly's turn for her eyes to go wide. For the first time this entire trip, the elf had no clue how to respond to that. It wasn't as though she could accept the alcohol. One measly sip and she would say bye bye to her magic. However, she didn't know how to say that in words without telling the Mud people she was an elf.
Thankfully, even the embarrassed Artemis was still a genius. "Holly doesn't drink anything with alcohol in it." He stated, "Ever since her father started drinking."
Mrs. Fowl gasped into her hand. "Oh, Holly dear, I'm so sorry about that."
Holly shrugged, "It was...a long time ago…" She trailed off, uncomfortable with the subject.
Artemis Sr. cleared his throat. "Well then, why don't we invite your family over her for Christmas?"
"Or we could go over there." Myles spoke up for once.
"Yes!" Angeline sounded absolutely enthusiastic about the idea. "Oh! You have to call them now!"
"Do you have any siblings?" Beckett piped in, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Butler and Juliet felt helpless in this situation, not sure what to say. It was their job to protect their secret, but Holly looked terrified as of right now. They couldn't do anything, not when the Butler siblings were pretending they didn't know anything about Holly before this.
"Umm….I don't think they could make it." The female muttered, looking at her lap.
"Why? Do they live far away?" Angeline asked, cocking her head when Holly nodded hers. "Well, why aren't you over there? Are you not talking to them-I mean, it is Christmas ti-" It was then that holly couldn't take anymore, jumping up and running out of the room with her head down, not looking at anyone.
Artemis sighed sadly, watching her go and once disappearing he shook his head and stood up. His father shot a confused look at him. "Son, what's wrong?"
Artemis ran a hand through his hair again, extremely glad that Holly convinced him not to put gel in it because he was doing the action so often today. "Holly's parents died. They were the only family she had. She has been avoiding the topic because they passed on a bad note around the holidays." There was a small, collective gasp, but the man paid no attention as he walked out of the room.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Holly burst into Artemis' room, his family's words ringing in her ears. They made her eyes sting with tears and her head spin. That couldn't of just happened. The elf sighed, walking over to the window on the opposite wall and putting her head in her hands. Did she over react? They were just asking questions, trying to get to know her better. Still, even the thought of her parents made the elf nauseous. That was when the first sob erupted from her quaking mouth. And that was just the start of it, because it felt so good to let go after that, a sea of sadness and grief that had built up year after year just washing over her.
Holly didn't even hear the bedroom door open or Artemis walk across the room towards her. She did, however, feel his arms go around her waist as the genius embraced her, but still too upset to jump or act surprised.
"Calm down, Holly." The Mastermind murmured softly into her hair, smelling the familiar scent of grass and citrus. "It's alright."
"No, it's not 'alright!'" The elf gasped between sobs. "It's not and never has been, Artemis!" She turned around, burying her face in his chest.
Artemis took a deep breath, trying to pace his heart rate after realizing that she was this close. "Come on." He took her head, perching on the edge of his bed and pulling Holly next to him. She didn't look in his eyes, instead, the elf averted her gaze to the floor, still crying. "Oh, Holly." He said, reaching up and stroking her face.
The woman squeezed her eyes shut. "I miss them so much, Artemis. I just…" She trailed off, not sure what to say exactly.
"Would do anything to get them back." Artemis finished for her. He tightened his grip on her hands. "Holly, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I know exactly what you are going through. Hell, at least you didn't go out and attempt to kidnap a mythological creature...And succeed."
"You have your family." She muttered, still not looking at the genius. "They didn't die." The elf then again sniffled, wiping her nose delicately with the back of her hand. "I-I don't know what to do...What to think, Artemis." She shut her eyes tightly, and whispered. "This is just so hard."
"I know." He replied at an equal, soft tone. He reached over and wrapped his arms around her for comfort. "I do, Holly. And I have you and only you to thank for the life I have today. I was right when I said it before, I was a broken boy. And you fixed me. For that, I owe you everything and anything."
It was quiet after that, for the pair didn't have any other words for each other. They just sat there, embracing one another. It was comfortable, even if Holly was upset. Artemis found that he liked to hold her like this, to be this close to the elf. He moved his head and pressed his lips gently to her neck in a comforting gesture, but already loved the feel of her soft, smooth skin under his lips. All the while, his mind was repeating. Don't think like that. Don't think like that. Don't think like…. Over and over and over again, trying to get the loving thoughts of Holly out of his mind as he held her this close.
Only when Artemis could feel himself wanting to slide his lips up and down her neck, did the man let go. "You should get some sleep." He stated.
Holly nodded silently, wiping her eyes and looking at her hands. "Shouldn't I talk-"
"My family will be there in the morning." He interrupted, "Besides, I think they need time to stew over what they said to you." Artemis flashed a small smirk her way and Holly couldn't help a small smile form on her face. His face dropped to a bit darker tone of thought before he exhaled deeply and leaned forward, kissing her forehead for the briefest of seconds. "Get some sleep." He ordered gently, and the elf nodded. Holly crawled to the other side of the bed, not talking or really even feeling anything as she felt she would pass out any second.
It did not take long for Holly to fall asleep, but it did start one of the most uncomfortably, yet comfortable nights of her life.
Alright, well I can guess that you can guess why this took so long. Over 8000 words...The most I ever wrote for one chapter was in Realization of 5, and that was when I just started writing.
I must really REALLY love yall.
Hope everyone had the most MAGNIFICENT holidays!
….Do you think I should wait until December to finish the rest of this?