Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl or anything you recognize from the Artemis Fowl books. I do own the plot and the Stones, though those aren't exactly anything to be proud of. *shoots stupid plot and drags off the stage again*
I know that there has been some asking for more H/T. I repeat THIS IS AN ARTEMIS ROMANCE. It's Artemis centered. I've already got plans for my next story which is Holly/Trouble centered.
Just so you know, this isn't all of Day 2, but it was getting kind of long, so I decided to break it up by giving you what I had so far and the rest as soon as it's written and you've given me those pretty reviews. *grin* Nah, really thanks for the reviews everybody, they mean a lot to me.
Oh, and due to popular demand, this series will remain without any sort of real title.
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CHAPTER 15: Day 2: Air and Sun
Alyssa woke up with someone knocking on her door. She groaned, she was not a morning person. She glanced at the clock. It was only 8. She didn't know what 8 in the morning on a summer day looked like. She rolled over and pulled a pillow over her head.
"Alyssa? It's me."
Alyssa blinked. She knew that voice, but that wasn't her mother's voice. Oh, of course. She wasn't at home, that's right. She was at Junior's house. That voice belonged to…
"It's Juliet."
"Yeah, come in if you want." She sat up.
Juliet opened the door and came in. "You're not up? How late were you awake?"
"Only like 11, maybe earlier. I'm just not a morning person."
"What were you doing after dinner?" She already knew, she had spied on them for a little while of course.
"Oh, we just listened to music. Danced a bit. I even got Artemis to sing some Freddie Mercury."
"You did?" Juliet giggled.
"Yeah."
"What have you got planned for today?"
"I thought maybe Artemis and I might go hiking and then we could watch movies tonight."
Juliet gaped. "Artemis hiking? You've got to be joking."
Alyssa shrugged. "I could get him to come."
"No way."
"I bet you 3 pounds that I could."
"I think I'll take that bet. Do you need anything? Like for me to show you where the shower is or anything?"
"Nah. I'm fine."
"Then you might want to shower and get dressed. The Fowls usually have breakfast around nine."
"Thanks, Juliet."
"Welcome." She left.
Alyssa started picking through her suitcase for something to wear, then she ran off to the bathroom for a hot shower.
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Artemis woke being poked in the stomach. He opened his eyes blearily and saw a redhead in green was poking him. No, a shorted auburn-haired elf in a green jumpsuit was poking him.
"Holly, what are you doing?"
"Trying to wake you up," she grinned.
"Well, I'm awake now so stop poking me."
"Fine. Spoil sport." She jumped up and sat on the edge of the bed. "So what are you plans for today?"
"I was going to spend the day with Alyssa."
"What do you mean 'was'?"
"I can't get dressed, showered, and ready to start my day if you don't leave me alone."
"You'll have to wait for your shower. Alyssa is in there now." She cocked her head to the side. "No, sounds like the water's off now. What are you going to wear?"
"I don't know."
"I'll pick something out for you." She went over to raid his closet.
There was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Juliet."
"Come in." He sighed with relief. His parents would not take kindly to an elf throwing things out of his closet.
"What's going on?" she asked, shutting the door.
"Holly is trying to decide what I should wear."
"I'll help," said Juliet.
"Good. You two decide that. I'm going to go shower. I'd like this room woman-free when I return."
"Sure thing, Arty," they said. Artemis could imagine identical grins on their faces.
He picked up his bathrobe and went to the bathroom. He was just about to reach for the handle when it opened.
"Oops! Sorry," said Alyssa as she nearly hit him with the door.
Artemis gaped at her. She was standing in the doorway wrapped in a towel.
She blushed realizing this. "Er, I'm going to go get dressed now. For breakfast."
He said quietly, "I think in the future my parents would prefer you in clothes or at least a bathrobe at all times."
She nodded and left as quickly as possible.
Artemis went inside and turned on the water. He slid against the wall until he was in a sitting position. That was a big shock. He shook his head and stood up, getting in the shower.
After he'd washed he got out and put on his bathrobe. He went to his room. Juliet and Holly had left clothes on his bed for him. He looked around. Juliet was gone and there was no sign of the shimmer that might be Holly. He got dressed and brushed his hair.
Artemis went out into the hall and ran into Alyssa, literally.
"Oof," he fell with a thud and she fell on top of him.
"Ow," she said, struggling to sit up. "I'm sorry, I just had to come talk to you." She scrambled to her feet and then stuck out a hand to help him up. "I was coming in to talk to you. I'm sorry about before. But see, in my house the bathroom happens to be like 2 feet from my room so I usually don't bother with a bathrobe. And I would have brought my clothes in there with me and changed in there but I hadn't decided what I was going to wear. I'm really sorry."
"No. Nothing for you to be sorry about. I'm sorry."
"Why? You didn't do anything."
"I don't know why, I just am."
"Fair enough."
"Let's go downstairs, I think my parents are waiting."
Artemis looked at what she was wearing (what it had taken her so long to decide what to wear, he thought to himself). Decent looking blue jeans and a white ¾ sleeve shirt with tiny flowers printed on it that buttoned up the front. It had a collar and little cuffs on the sleeves. She looked nice.
They sat at the table.
"Alyssa, how did you sleep last night?"
"Like a log. That room was very comfortable, Mrs. Fowl. Thank you." She smiled.
"We're glad," said Artemis Senior. "What did you and Artemis have planned for today?"
"I was thinking a hike around the countryside might be nice, personally. I'm from the city myself and I think the countryside looks beautiful this time of year. Artemis, do you want to go?" Alyssa asked.
Artemis hesitated. He hated physical activity of any kind. He was most at home in front of a computer. But if she wanted to go… "Sounds like that might be fun."
His mother perked up. Her little boy was actually going to spend some time outside in the sunshine? "We can get a picnic lunch packed for you so you can stay out all day." My, this girl really was a good influence on Arty, she thought. "Juliet, you and Butler can go with them. Make a day of it."
"Yes, Mrs. Fowl." Juliet thought, darn it, now I owe that girl 3 pounds. She managed to get Artemis to agree to it!
They discussed possible places to go during the rest of breakfast and Juliet got up to pack sandwiches.
Artemis got up from the table.
Alyssa eyed him critically. "You'd probably be better off in jeans and hiking boots," she said, looking at his slacks and handmade loafers.
"Yes. I'll see what I can find." He gave a slight smile (or was it a sneer?) and went upstairs.
"Alyssa, Arty doesn't spend much time outside. Would you help him pick out something suitable?"
"Sure, Mrs. Fowl." She left the table.
Artemis quickly checked his closet for signs of fairy life. Holly had made all her things take up as much space as possible and put them in the corner of the closet, covering them all with an old blanket. "Holly?" he whispered.
"What did you say?" asked Alyssa, entering the room.
"Oh, nothing. Talking to my shows."
"Your shoes? Do they talk back?"
"What do you think?" he asked sardonically.
"If they do talk back, I'd be worried about you."
"What? You don't believe in magic?"
"Of course not," she scoffed.
"What a pity," he said.
"Just open your closet so I can see if you've got anything better to wear."
Artemis shrugged and opened it.
She started going through his things. "No, no, no, no, no, no. Don't you own anything less dressy?" she asked.
"Probably not."
"Do you own any jeans?"
"Possibly." He frowned trying to remember. "Yes, I think Juliet made me buy a pair…"
"Juliet?" She arched an eyebrow.
"Yes. Butler's sister. She has recently become my fashion consultant."
"Did she pick out what you wore on our first date?" she asked slyly.
"Yes," he said stiffly, not bothering to add that she'd also picked out what he wore on every other date.
"Well, you looked adorable. I'll go down to the kitchen and see if Juliet knows where the jeans are." She started out the door.
Artemis realized with a panicked shock that Holly was probably down there getting something to eat right now. After all, she didn't appear to be in his room and there was no way she'd be outside in this heat or with the sun shining.
"Er, Alyssa!" he called.
"Yes?"
"Why don't you look around here for some appropriate shoes for me to wear? I'll go ask about the jeans."
"Okay." She shrugged. "Why?"
"Why?"
"You can't answer a question with a question, Junior."
"I'll be right back." He left in as cool and collective a manner as he could muster.
Alyssa muttered, "There's something seriously wrong with that boy."
Artemis went down to the kitchen and found Juliet holding a hushed conversation with something (or someone) sitting out of sight behind the counter.
"Yes, I caught that bit too. Singing to Freddie Mercury of all things—"
"Ahem," Artemis said.
"Oh, Artemis, I was just talking to Holly. I was getting her some breakfast. Nobody fed her last night."
Artemis snorted. "She came in and got her own dinner. Besides, what if Alyssa had walked in. Who would you have said you were talking to?"
"Well, er, myself. People do that. I bet even you do."
"No, actually. I came in here to ask if we bought any jeans when we went shopping."
"Yes, their still in the bag in my room."
"Mud Boy, I hear you're going hiking." Holly had climbed up on top of the counter and was sitting there.
"What? No green jumpsuit today? You're almost exclusively in that. Except that time you wore the pink number with the miniskirt and the blonde wig—"
She jumped at him with reflexes like a cat and whacked him with her buzz baton.
"Ouch," he rubbed his arm bitterly. "That was most uncalled for, Captain."
She snorted. "Me, uncalled for? You had no business bringing that up. I was on an undercover assignment before hand, or I wouldn't have been caught dead in that outfit. This spiffy black ensemble—"
"I don't need to hear about your wardrobe choices, Captain. Just refrain from being seen and I'll be pleased. Juliet, you said the bag in your room?"
"Yes, the one under the desk."
"Thank you." He left and heard Juliet and Holly resuming their gossip. Women! He found the bag easily enough and took it back to his room.
"Hey."
"Oh, hello, Alyssa. Did you find the appropriate footwear?"
"No, but I found something that looks like they would almost pass as sneakers. Well, let's see what's in that bag with the jeans." She dumped it out. "Score! We have found you sneakers."
"I'll alert the media."
"I've got a question. In the bottom of your closet I saw a sleeping bag that was only like 3 and half feet long. What was that for?"
"Would you believe I had a three foot tall fairy staying with me?"
"No."
"It was a memento of my youth. As a young child I was rather sentimental. That sleeping bag was like a 'blankie' to me. It resurfaced recently and I haven't the heart to get rid of it."
"Oh, so you do have some sort of emotional side after all."
"Indeed. But don't tell anyone. It'd be bad for my image." He managed to keep a straight face throughout the entire exchange.
She grinned, "Alright. I'll be right outside the door. Give a shout when I can come in again. Oh, and here." She tossed him a shirt that he hadn't noticed she'd been holding. "Found that in your closet. Wear it, it's a much better color on you."
"Of course," he said sarcastically. When she was gone he put on the jeans and sneakers. He changed shirts too. This was a lighter material, rather than the heavy polo, and it was a mix of light blues and dark blues. Part of the blue was just the color of his eyes. He looked in the mirror and had to admit that he probably looked better, though he didn't think he'd ever get used to the idea of himself in blue jeans and sneakers. He sighed, "Come in, Alyssa."
She came in at once and grinned in approval. "Much better."
"Thank you. I take it we best be going?"
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You know what to do…
