~ DROWNING ~
A/N: o.O WHOA . . . I didn't know you guys hated cliffies so much . . . believe me, if I had known, I would have never even HEADED in that direction. Heh. My most sincere apologies.
Sorry it took so long. You know me, I just don't update too fast. Gotta wait for inspiration to strike.
And yeah, I'm sorry, but one thing you must unfortunately accept about this poor excuse for a fic is that I don't have a lot of time to update. Time is pretty much the only thing I don't have. But I shall try my hardest to update ASAP, I swear!!
DISCLAIMER: . . . I'm LAZY . . .
CHAPTER FIVE +++ Living in a Fantasy
Way down under, Root and Foaly were getting bored.
"Foaly, why isn't Holly back yet?"
"She's probably snogging the socks off of Fowl, sir."
"Foaly, when do you think she'll be back?"
"Probably never, sir."
"Foaly, where IS Holly?"
"Aboveground, dumbass."
Root exploded.
"I WILL NOT TOLERATE BEING SPOKEN TO AS SUCH BY A LOWLY CENTAUR LIKE YOURSELF! I ORDER YOU TO APOLOGIZE, YOU NANCY-PANCY PUFFED-UP CYNICAL LITTLE PONY!"
"Well, excuuuuuse me for living," Foaly grumbled, turning away from the commander. "And I'm not a pony."
"You're a pony if I say you're a pony."
"I'm sorry, Julius, but that is nonsensical logic."
"DON'T CALL ME JULIUS!"
"How about Beetroot?"
"NOT THAT EITHER!"
"But Julius! It's CHRISTMAS! 'Tis the season to be jolly! 'Tis the season to be merry! 'Tis the season to call your commanding officers by their given names!"
"Shut it, Foaly."
"Come on, Julius! Succumb to the joyous merriment! Embrace the Christmas cheer! EMBRACE IT, I TELL YOU!"
"Foaly..."
"EMBRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE—oof!"
Root grinned in satisfaction as he dusted off his hands, surveying the unconscious centaur sprawled on the floor. Oh, how he loved Christmas.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Artemis closed the distance between them, and Holly wasn't drowning anymore. She was floating, her spirit soaring high above the rest of the world, suspended in time by this overwhelming feeling of peace and happiness.
Judging by the fact that Artemis hadn't halted their extremely un-Orthodox activities just yet, she thought that he was probably floating too.
~ * ~ * ~
She was wrong.
Artemis wasn't floating. He was hovering, torn between elation and uncertainty. On one hand, he was kissing Holly. That was more than he could have ever hoped for. On the other hand, Holly was an elf. A fairy. Who was, in all probability, not even supposed to be aboveground at all, let alone kissing a Mud Boy at midnight beneath the mistletoe.
He smiled into the kiss. He didn't care if she was a fairy, he didn't care if she was breaking the rules, because she was Holly.
And Holly, quite frankly, was all he needed.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"She's not back yet."
"Don't you think I KNOW that?" Root growled.
Foaly shrugged, leaning back as he held the icepack to his bruised forehead. "You could be arrested for physically abusing one of your coworkers."
Root snorted. "You, Foaly, are not my coworker. A technological wizard, yes. A self-proclaimed genius, yes. A pain in the ass, yes. But you are NOT, I repeat NOT, my coworker."
"Your words wound me, Julius."
"Go stuff your face in a fish bowl or something, Foaly."
Foaly blinked. A...fish bowl?
"Julius, are you drunk?"
"Not yet."
Foaly flashed an evil grin. "What say we go take a quick look around Holly's kitchen, eh?"
"God, yes," Root groaned, rising to his feet. "I need alcohol."
"Let's go find some, then," Foaly said brightly, skipping off into the kitchen.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Holly pulled away abruptly, immediately coming to her senses. This was WRONG. Wrong on so many levels. He was a human, she was an elf. He was fifteen, she was eighty. He was five foot six, she was two feet shorter. He practically had to bend himself into a pretzel to kiss her, for god's sake!
"What's wrong?" Artemis asked, worry clouding his eyes.
"Everything," Holly whispered, turning away. "Everything about this is wrong."
Artemis knew what she was thinking. "Holly, don't—"
"We can't do this," she said quietly, eyes lowered.
"Why, because we're different?" Artemis retorted. "I didn't think you would care about that."
"I don't. Hell, I could care less. But...it's just never happened before! A Mud Man and a fairy! How am I supposed to know what to do? I mean, you're standing there, you, Artemis, and I KNOW I feel something for you, but...I also know that I'm not SUPPOSED to feel this way." Holly kept her eyes firmly glued to the floor.
Artemis was frowning. "Not supposed to? And who sets these rules?"
Holly lifted her gaze, eyes steely, voice firm. "This just isn't how things are supposed to be."
"If I'm not mistaken, YOU were the one who risked everything to come see ME," Artemis pointed out, one eyebrow raised as he crossed his arms.
"Yes, well, I didn't think you would actually REMEMBER me, did I?" Holly said, slightly hysterical.
Artemis grabbed her shoulders. "Holly, LISTEN to me. It's not wrong. As a matter of fact, there's never been anything more right in the world. Believe me. I'm the genius here, remember? I should know."
"Oh, as if you would know about things like—like LOVE," Holly said, noting with shame that her eyes were beginning to get rather teary.
"I do, actually," Artemis replied, deadly serious. "I know a lot bout things like love."
Holly had to get out of here. Before she went crazy and did something completely stupid, like jump Artemis. "I'm going," she muttered as she turned away.
She supposed she probably shouldn't feel so disappointed that he didn't follow.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"I think—hic—we, erhgh, um—hic—had a little too muuuch to—hic—drink."
"Whadda ya talkin' about, centaur? I'm just gettin'—hic—started!"
"Juuuuuuuulius."
"Hmm?"
"How're we suppooorsed ter—hic—get home?"
"Why you askin' me, Fo—hic—Foaly?"
"Dunno."
"Ah. 'Kay."
"Teehee."
"..."
"Yer a—hic—beeeetroot, Jules!"
"First, don' call me—hic—beetroot, ya ingrateful lil'—hic—pony. Second, don' call me—hic—Jules."
"Okie dokie arti—hic—chokie. Yer the bossman."
"And don't you—hic—forget it."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
A/N: So, sadness in the world of A/H. But that is SO not the end for them. Yes, Holly is making a BIIIIG mistake and going on back to Haven, but...she will learn. And Artemis will make a journey of his own. ^^
So, next chappie will DEFINITELY be up within the next month or so (I'm going to Paris soon and I might have time to work on it then), probably less than that. I just need time to develop the plot a bit more.
Read and review, my friends. I love you all.
A/N: o.O WHOA . . . I didn't know you guys hated cliffies so much . . . believe me, if I had known, I would have never even HEADED in that direction. Heh. My most sincere apologies.
Sorry it took so long. You know me, I just don't update too fast. Gotta wait for inspiration to strike.
And yeah, I'm sorry, but one thing you must unfortunately accept about this poor excuse for a fic is that I don't have a lot of time to update. Time is pretty much the only thing I don't have. But I shall try my hardest to update ASAP, I swear!!
DISCLAIMER: . . . I'm LAZY . . .
CHAPTER FIVE +++ Living in a Fantasy
Way down under, Root and Foaly were getting bored.
"Foaly, why isn't Holly back yet?"
"She's probably snogging the socks off of Fowl, sir."
"Foaly, when do you think she'll be back?"
"Probably never, sir."
"Foaly, where IS Holly?"
"Aboveground, dumbass."
Root exploded.
"I WILL NOT TOLERATE BEING SPOKEN TO AS SUCH BY A LOWLY CENTAUR LIKE YOURSELF! I ORDER YOU TO APOLOGIZE, YOU NANCY-PANCY PUFFED-UP CYNICAL LITTLE PONY!"
"Well, excuuuuuse me for living," Foaly grumbled, turning away from the commander. "And I'm not a pony."
"You're a pony if I say you're a pony."
"I'm sorry, Julius, but that is nonsensical logic."
"DON'T CALL ME JULIUS!"
"How about Beetroot?"
"NOT THAT EITHER!"
"But Julius! It's CHRISTMAS! 'Tis the season to be jolly! 'Tis the season to be merry! 'Tis the season to call your commanding officers by their given names!"
"Shut it, Foaly."
"Come on, Julius! Succumb to the joyous merriment! Embrace the Christmas cheer! EMBRACE IT, I TELL YOU!"
"Foaly..."
"EMBRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE—oof!"
Root grinned in satisfaction as he dusted off his hands, surveying the unconscious centaur sprawled on the floor. Oh, how he loved Christmas.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Artemis closed the distance between them, and Holly wasn't drowning anymore. She was floating, her spirit soaring high above the rest of the world, suspended in time by this overwhelming feeling of peace and happiness.
Judging by the fact that Artemis hadn't halted their extremely un-Orthodox activities just yet, she thought that he was probably floating too.
~ * ~ * ~
She was wrong.
Artemis wasn't floating. He was hovering, torn between elation and uncertainty. On one hand, he was kissing Holly. That was more than he could have ever hoped for. On the other hand, Holly was an elf. A fairy. Who was, in all probability, not even supposed to be aboveground at all, let alone kissing a Mud Boy at midnight beneath the mistletoe.
He smiled into the kiss. He didn't care if she was a fairy, he didn't care if she was breaking the rules, because she was Holly.
And Holly, quite frankly, was all he needed.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"She's not back yet."
"Don't you think I KNOW that?" Root growled.
Foaly shrugged, leaning back as he held the icepack to his bruised forehead. "You could be arrested for physically abusing one of your coworkers."
Root snorted. "You, Foaly, are not my coworker. A technological wizard, yes. A self-proclaimed genius, yes. A pain in the ass, yes. But you are NOT, I repeat NOT, my coworker."
"Your words wound me, Julius."
"Go stuff your face in a fish bowl or something, Foaly."
Foaly blinked. A...fish bowl?
"Julius, are you drunk?"
"Not yet."
Foaly flashed an evil grin. "What say we go take a quick look around Holly's kitchen, eh?"
"God, yes," Root groaned, rising to his feet. "I need alcohol."
"Let's go find some, then," Foaly said brightly, skipping off into the kitchen.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Holly pulled away abruptly, immediately coming to her senses. This was WRONG. Wrong on so many levels. He was a human, she was an elf. He was fifteen, she was eighty. He was five foot six, she was two feet shorter. He practically had to bend himself into a pretzel to kiss her, for god's sake!
"What's wrong?" Artemis asked, worry clouding his eyes.
"Everything," Holly whispered, turning away. "Everything about this is wrong."
Artemis knew what she was thinking. "Holly, don't—"
"We can't do this," she said quietly, eyes lowered.
"Why, because we're different?" Artemis retorted. "I didn't think you would care about that."
"I don't. Hell, I could care less. But...it's just never happened before! A Mud Man and a fairy! How am I supposed to know what to do? I mean, you're standing there, you, Artemis, and I KNOW I feel something for you, but...I also know that I'm not SUPPOSED to feel this way." Holly kept her eyes firmly glued to the floor.
Artemis was frowning. "Not supposed to? And who sets these rules?"
Holly lifted her gaze, eyes steely, voice firm. "This just isn't how things are supposed to be."
"If I'm not mistaken, YOU were the one who risked everything to come see ME," Artemis pointed out, one eyebrow raised as he crossed his arms.
"Yes, well, I didn't think you would actually REMEMBER me, did I?" Holly said, slightly hysterical.
Artemis grabbed her shoulders. "Holly, LISTEN to me. It's not wrong. As a matter of fact, there's never been anything more right in the world. Believe me. I'm the genius here, remember? I should know."
"Oh, as if you would know about things like—like LOVE," Holly said, noting with shame that her eyes were beginning to get rather teary.
"I do, actually," Artemis replied, deadly serious. "I know a lot bout things like love."
Holly had to get out of here. Before she went crazy and did something completely stupid, like jump Artemis. "I'm going," she muttered as she turned away.
She supposed she probably shouldn't feel so disappointed that he didn't follow.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"I think—hic—we, erhgh, um—hic—had a little too muuuch to—hic—drink."
"Whadda ya talkin' about, centaur? I'm just gettin'—hic—started!"
"Juuuuuuuulius."
"Hmm?"
"How're we suppooorsed ter—hic—get home?"
"Why you askin' me, Fo—hic—Foaly?"
"Dunno."
"Ah. 'Kay."
"Teehee."
"..."
"Yer a—hic—beeeetroot, Jules!"
"First, don' call me—hic—beetroot, ya ingrateful lil'—hic—pony. Second, don' call me—hic—Jules."
"Okie dokie arti—hic—chokie. Yer the bossman."
"And don't you—hic—forget it."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
A/N: So, sadness in the world of A/H. But that is SO not the end for them. Yes, Holly is making a BIIIIG mistake and going on back to Haven, but...she will learn. And Artemis will make a journey of his own. ^^
So, next chappie will DEFINITELY be up within the next month or so (I'm going to Paris soon and I might have time to work on it then), probably less than that. I just need time to develop the plot a bit more.
Read and review, my friends. I love you all.