A/N: For JasonBall34, as part of our A/H discord Christmas celebration! (Check my AO3 profile under the same username for more details, and be sure to check out everyone else's stories!)
Huge thank you to Reckless150681, fandom_food_bank, RefugeeofTumblr, Rarepair_Debonair, artyclues55, and JasonBall34 for being a part of this gift exchange with me!
Present Day, Villa Eco, Ireland
"Open the gift, Arty." Holly shoves a parcel wrapped in gold foil towards him, and he fumbles around with it. They're both sitting on his bed, quietly resting in his room. Holly's on a short visit from Haven, and Artemis is mentally exhausted from spending the day with his family.
"I didn't know that fairies celebrate Christmas," he says.
"Apparently, this one does," Holly says impatiently. Though, Artemis knows better than to argue with her when she's so adamant on him opening the gift.
He carefully peels the tape away, careful to not scratch his manicured fingernails. The gold foil falls, and in his hands lies a small book.
"Now, open the book…" she goads.
As Artemis's fingers flip the cover, he feels a smile light up on his face. It's not just any regular book — it's a photo album. Flipping through the pages, the nostalgia of every moment is captured perfectly.
There's a photo of them together at a ski resort, and Artemis's face is on the ground, snow all over his hair. Holly is laughing at him, and his embarrassment is humiliating, yet equally hilarious.
Then, he spots another photo of the both of them before they started dating, and it's actually a magazine clipping. The setting is warm and comfortable, the photo taken in a ramen shop during their vacation to Tokyo. Her hand is over his, their gazes locked.
The last photo that stands out to him is rather strange, and not quite romantic in the traditional sense, but Artemis remembers the day fondly — the day he landed from his expedition to Mars. There are press cameras and microphones everywhere, but at the very center of the photo, Holly is leaping towards Artemis, a bright smile on her face.
The rush of emotions is so great, and the memories begin to play in the back of his mind as he remembers every minute detail. Every detail that led him to where he is now, snuggled with Holly's rosy cheeks and citrus scent.
Seven Years Ago, Maritime Alps, Switzerland
"I refuse."
Holly is fuming, her shoulders tense, but Artemis doesn't want to budge.
"Some exercise could do your body some good, you know," she says. "You can't not ski when you're in the Alps, Arty."
"You and Butler can enjoy yourselves. I don't mind staying in the resort."
"My goodness. You're so stubborn — are you sure there's nothing that can convince you to come?" Holly's arms are crossed, a slight frown across her face.
"I'm positive," he says sternly.
Holly rolls her eyes, and Artemis catches it from the corner of his eye.
However, her demeanor quickly changes, and a devilish grin appears.
"I think I have a plan," she says.
"Holly- Argh! What do you think you're doing?"
"Teaching you to get off your ass and have some fun," she replies. Her hands are dragging him by the scruff of his neck, and he whines in protest of being separated from his laptop.
"My stocks!" he cries while being dragged out the door. He knows he doesn't really have a choice in the matter, now that Holly's set her mind on her goal. When he said that he wanted to admire the ice-capped scenery, he was not expecting to admire it so… closely.
The next hour goes by quickly, and tourists give them strange looks, wondering why a mere child is ordering around a lanky teenager.
But somehow, Artemis manages to get suited up in ski gear and a warm jacket. Holly can't help but admire her handiwork.
"I never thought that I'd see you like this," she says. "I'm impressed with myself ."
"Save me the humiliation and let's get this over with," Artemis spits. They start moving on the snow, Artemis clutching his poles for dear life. He somehow hasn't fallen yet, but his legs are shaking so much and it feels like they're about to give out any second.
Although Holly does like making Artemis suffer, he sees her eyes soften a bit, and he knows that she isn't wholly evil. She glides smoothly on the snow, and gives Artemis a crash course on skiing basics.
"Form a 'pizza' with your skis, that'll slow you down when you're going downhill. And be sure to lean forward and bend your knees so you don't fall backwards," she says.
"Where did you learn how to ski?" he asks.
"There are some sim-parks outside of Haven. I've never been to a real hill on the surface before, so I guess today's full of firsts, yeah?"
"...Right."
Artemis is clumsily trying to copy her actions, but he ends up pinwheeling his arms, trying to save himself from a fall. Holly's reactions are quick, digging her skis into the ground and she plants herself, catching Artemis's hand mid-fall.
"I've got you," she says reassuringly, lifting Artemis up. "I know it's hard at first, but I have do have faith in you, even if it might not look like it."
"Good... to know," Artemis sulks. His ego's a little damaged, and though he's glad to hear the encouragement from Holly, he feels determined to accomplish something by the end of the night, just to prove that he isn't so helpless.
And so, for the next few hours, they practice at the bottom of the hill some more — and slowly, ever so slowly, Artemis is finally able to move across the snow without flailing his arms around. He's grateful for horseback riding — he's sure that his thighs would've long given up without it. And even though she's the reason for this mess, he's grateful to Holly for being so patient with him, encouraging him with every step.
It's a grueling physical and mental fight, but after some more practicing, Holly asks the question that Artemis has been dreading.
"...So, are you ready for the hill?" she asks.
Artemis knows she's expecting him to say no, but he feels more determined than ever to heal his pride.
"Let's do it," he says.
It's a small, gradual hill. Artemis nearly tripped over himself while trying to get on the conveyor belt, but Holly's firm hands kept him steady along the ride.
But Holly was right — the scenery is much easier to admire up close. Only now, when he's not suffering can he truly appreciate the snow-covered trees swaying with the wind, the sun piercing through the blue sky. Every groove of the mountains, every whistle of the breeze, he commits to memory. He really is enjoying nature, but he's also trying to avoid looking down the hill.
"Alright, Arty. Remember the pizza, and I'll be with you the whole time. Bent knees, leaning forward like we practiced. You ready?"
Artemis swallows, his fear taking over him. He's beaten chess champions, outsmarted countless businessmen, cheated death — and he's scared, no, terrified of going down this hill. What is Holly doing to him?
Deep breaths, Artemis. There's nothing to fear — Holly's here to help you, he thinks. It's not like his pride can be wounded any further.
His heart is racing, and he kicks off from the top of the hill. He's barreling down too quickly, his ankles are shaking, and Holly's beside him, yelling.
"Remember the pizza!" she screams. Artemis frantically points his skis inward, angling the insides like he saw her do before. He's not steady by any means, but he's not doing as bad as he thought he would be. From the corner of his eye, he sees that Holly is impressed, smiling at their hard work.
He focuses his attention on keeping the right form, making mental notes to focus on every muscle, every action of his body.
And, before he knows it, he's hit the bottom. He's shaking, and even though he expected to fall face-first in the snow, he's astounded that he didn't fall on his first try.
Holly comes up beside him, her cheeks flushed and pink from the wind. She's genuinely so happy for him, so proud at his accomplishment, and her smile makes Artemis feel something… different. His icy breaths are coming even faster. He's sweating even though it's freezing.
It's like seeing her happy makes him want this moment to never end.
"Arty! You did it!" Holly is gliding forward, and Artemis is so ecstatic, he walks towards her.
Little does he know, walking doesn't work when your feet are attached to five-foot long skis. He falls face-first into a pile of snow, and he wants to shrivel up on the spot. Forget the awful skiing practice earlier, this is much, much worse. It's almost comical to watch him pull his head out of the snow mound.
Holly is bent over, tears of laughter streaming down her face. And though he can't see it, he knows his face is beet-red, mortified at his stupid fall. A familiar figure walks towards them, phone in hand.
"Butler? Please don't tell me you got that on video."
"Not quite a video, but I'm sure a picture will do." He smiles, lifting his phone, and Artemis's expression is just as mortifying as he imagined it to be.
Though, he has to admit, seeing Holly's smile makes this skiing trip a little more worth it.
Six Years Ago, Tokyo, Japan
Artemis is walking through the streets of Tokyo, Holly following close behind. The sound of street vendors and obnoxious cars fill his ears, and he winces at the sheer amount of sirens. Multicolored lights are reflected on the wet pavement, and the city is so bright, so alive, even during the night. People are bustling around, left and right, and Tokyo's nightlife is truly a spectacle to behold, he thinks.
They pass by a busy restaurant, and he spots Holly stopping in the middle of the street for a moment, a pensive look on her face. Before he knows it, she's dragging him into the shop by the sleeve of his shirt.
The setting is cozy and warm, and the dim lights cast a gentle shadow on Holly's face, accentuating the shadow under her lips. Not that Artemis is paying attention to this fact, of course.
"I'm impressed that you've managed to drag me into this commoner's shop," Artemis says with a slight frown. "Looking back, I'm not sure how I was so easily swayed."
"What can I say? You know I'm persuasive when I want to be," she says, smirking, recalling their ski trip not too long ago.
"I missed you," she says. "Switzerland feels like ages ago."
"I know. I can't say if I enjoyed it or not, but it was definitely… an experience."
I did not think about your smile afterwards for hours on end, he thinks. No, definitely not.
Artemis knows that Holly's caught onto his strange behaviour, but brushes it off for now. As they wait to get seated, they make light conversation, telling each other what they've been up to since their trip to the Alps.
They chat gently about their lives, Artemis recalling the time Myles and Beckett spilled nitroglycerin in his lab. The ordeal ended in an explosion and a complete remodeling of the scorched room, halting his Mars research project for two months. He tells her that he's taken an interest in the red planet lately, and Holly rolls her eyes at him.
Regarding the twins, however, she says that she's lucky to avoid such a chaotic household. She tells Artemis about a possible promotion to Commodore, and her plans to finally move out of her apartment into the suburbs. She'd been saving up for a while, and always wanted to have a personal gym. Artemis wrinkles his nose in disgust at the thought of physical activity, and she gently punches his arm, reminding him that he did ski down a bunny hill once.
They're laughing, bantering, smiling until their cheeks hurt, and make eye contact for a few seconds. Luckily for him, a waitress comes by, ready to take them to their seat. Holly orders a vegetarian ramen, and Artemis miraculously gets through his order without scolding the poor girl. He can tell that Holly's impressed, and he raises his eyebrow.
"From what I hear, you're supposed to be bad with people," she says. "I'm surprised that she came out intact."
Artemis looks at her from across the table, but refuses to directly meet her eyes. He cautiously drinks a sip of his tea. "That's ridiculous. What makes you think that?" he asks.
"One centaur with a little footage of a restaurant in London," Holly smirks. He winces at the memory of his time in En Fin, and even slackens his jaw slightly at the thought of his sound grenade.
"I'll have you know, I'm very different nowadays."
"...Right," she says sarcastically. "And trolls don't eat their mothers."
Artemis rolls his eyes, but he knows they're both just playing along. He really isn't like his younger self anymore, and he's thankful that he isn't as heartless as he used to be.
"In all seriousness, I think it's safe to say that I've changed." Artemis swallows, and reaches his hand out to her. "And I have you, my dear friend, to thank for that."
Holly looks at his hand for a moment, unsure of what to do. As she eventually takes it, he sees her face heat up, and she's looking at the ground, a little shy.
Artemis squeezes her hand gently, and they're looking at each other again, leaning closer. But before anything can happen, a flash goes off. Artemis snaps his neck in that direction, and spots a large camera pointed their way.
"That's a lovely photo," says the photographer in Japanese. "Who knew the world's richest bachelor isn't single anymore," he murmurs to himself, before succumbing to the accusing stare of the two friends. Artemis's glare is full of pure, unbridled evil, and the journalist's face proves it. Every inch of him is frozen in place, and his teeth are chattering.
"Arty?" Holly asks, unsure what to do.
"You know what? Keep the photo," says Artemis. "It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. Perhaps Mother will stop pestering me to get a girlfriend."
The photographer is a little confused, and decides to awkwardly thank Artemis in the end. The photographer leaves a business card on the table, and Artemis nods as he leaves the shop. Once their ramen arrives, and they're awkward with each other after the little moment they shared, and pondering what the photographer said about their current… relationship.
Trying to forget the topic at hand, Artemis comments that he's slightly surprised about the taste and texture of the noodles. The broth isn't too awful, either. Holly can't help but roll her eyes at him, and the night ends with gentle and simple conversation.
Oh, and a little more awkward hand-holding under the table, of course.
Four months ago, Interstellar Landing Pad, Ireland
Reporters are lined all around the fence, flashing cameras and pushing their way to the front. They're noisy and loud as usual, and Holly sees journalists from all over the world trying to get a word from the mysterious Artemis Fowl. It was funny — government authorities only realized that Artemis had left Earth once he passed the moon. He got a kick out of that when Holly called and told him.
"Let them wonder," he told her. "They'll forget about me within a week, that's just how humans are."
Unfortunately for him, people did not forget. No, they did more than just remember. All around the world, conspiracy theorists were trying to break down the true mystery of Artemis Fowl. They dug up anything they could find against him, recalling his three-year absence, and his supposed "death" and subsequent resurrection. The Fowls remained tight-lipped on the details, and some theories claimed that there was more than one Artemis existing at a time, getting ready to replace the other. Others said that he was just a social recluse and refused to leave his room for years on end. The most accurate one, though, was the theory that he was visiting Narnia - a land full of magical creatures.
Holly remembers these light conversations fondly, and she remembers Artemis chuckling at the false accusations. During his five-year mission on Mars, the two had gotten closer. Holly made it a point to call him often, claiming that she missed him even more, especially now that she couldn't even visit him. His sudden departure was a shock to her — but looking back, she should've expected something like this when he told her about his obsession with Mars.
"You're going to Mars," she says. She feels betrayed. It's selfish, she knows, but she doesn't want him to leave.
He seems to read her train of thought. "I'll be sure to stay in contact, Holly."
"I know," she says.
"Will you be here when I come back?" he asks. There are double meanings laced within his words, and Holly knows her answer.
"I promise, Arty. I'll wait for you," she says, and hugs him.
Weekly calls turned into daily ones, and they found themselves sharing things that they wouldn't have done otherwise. Holly always looked forward to their daily chat, and hearing his laugh through the speaker made her miss it even more, knowing that he was so far away.
"Trouble's coffee machine broke down today, and I've never seen him more angry. Who knew that stuff was so powerful?"
Artemis can't help but snort. He used to be afraid of letting loose, but now, he knows that he can trust Holly with his vulnerable side, and that she can trust him with hers.
Holly feels so warm from the way he looks at her, and the way his eyes are so focused when she speaks. He listens to her problems, her small aspirations, and he shares his as well. And normally Holly would get bored of his science jargon and leave him to talk to Foaly instead, but lately, she loves the way his eyes light up when he's passionate about something. He shares his discoveries, and she shares stories about her dreadful coworkers.
She snaps her head back into the present — he's here now, isn't he? Just across the fence, on the other side of the door. Holly really wishes that she could kick it open and give him a hug, but she stays in the crowd, trying to push her way through.
A hiss comes from inside, and all the reporters immediately quiet down, anxious to see Artemis. After a while, murmuring occurs, and loud, metallic noises click from inside the spacecraft. Holly swears that she's seen this is some cheesy sci-fi horror movie, but she waits for him.
The doors are lifted, and Artemis steps out into the open.
He's weak, breathing heavily, but alive, and here in the flesh. Holly knows he's scanning the crowd for her, and it's clear when their eyes lock — his smile tells her everything she needs to know.
Holly doesn't know what comes across her, but her feet move without thinking. She's climbing up someone's back, and standing on their shoulders. They're yelling at her and trying to swat her off, people are flashing their cameras, but frankly, she couldn't care less. She winds up her legs, and uses all her strength to propel her across the fence. It's not very tall, even for her, and she clears it like it's nothing.
"Artemis!" she cries mid-leap. She sees how surprised he is, watching her hand reach out to him. Cameras are going off like crazy, people screaming at this strange redhead. Some people heard rumors about a girlfriend, but those were just rumors, right?
But either way, Artemis reaches out to meet Holly's hand. She lands, nearly toppling them both over. He smiles sheepishly at her, clearly tired from trying to adjust to the Earth's gravity again. She wants to kiss him right there, and she knows he wants it too, but they smile at each other, knowing they'll have time later. They're secretly smirking, though, and though they don't say it, they know the truth now.
I love you, they say silently.
Present Day, Villa Eco, Ireland
Once he's done with the photo album, he closes it gently. Artemis looks at Holly, smiling fondly. His tie is crumpled, his hair a little mused, and though it's unlike him to be so disheveled, he doesn't mind. Her grass and citrus scent makes his stomach flip, and for the fourth time in his life, he doesn't really know what to say.
"I loved the gift," he says shyly. "Normally, I'd ask how you found these photos, but I'll let it slide… for now."
Holly smirks, clearly about to fall asleep, and snuggles closer to him. Artemis leans in and kisses her.
"I love you, Holly. Thank you."
A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it! Check out everyone else's work as well - they're all incredible! And of course, Merry (late) Christmas to those who celebrate!
(and side note: I actually started this gift exchange with a whole different story, but it ended up being stupidly long. it's on the backburner for now, but maybe it'll make a comeback? who knows?)