A/N My bad for not posting recently, but some more fluff and angst from Holly. Dunno exactly what I'm doing with Artemis, his emotions are all whack anyway. With Trouble and Foaly, next chapter will be almost solely about them. So with Arty, I'ma wing it. Plus, to transist between POV, a line will be added.

And about the cereal thing later on... it helps me, so yeah.

The next morning Artemis awoke quite suddenly with a throbbing headache. What in Frond's name could have brought such a devastating agony to his cranium? It was a miracle he wasn't dead, or at least further maimed.

That was an exaggeration, obviously. But still, the feeling was most unpleasant.

He arose from his chair, with more pain shooting from the core of his body. Yes, sleeping in such an unnatural position would cause that sort of reaction.

Well, it was morning, so Butler, Juliet, and his beloved parents were beyond gone. Probably half-way across the planet. Wonderful, he was left alone for two weeks with a maniacal elf. He was intrigued, and an overwhelming feeling of... joy... overtook him. Warmth, perhaps, would best describe what filled him.

Then dread as the door to the study and/or recreational area swung open to a 60% dressed female elf.

"Where's the damn kitchen? 'M too tired to firgure this maze house out..." she mumbled.

Artemis could almost laugh, if not knowing better. Nourishment, nature's first and foremost call. So he straightened his shirt, decided to push all thoughts about the fact that (just realizing this now) Holly was wearing nothing more than one of his own shirts. It appeared she slept in his room overnight.

And possibly nude. Completely and utterly nude. Bare flesh pressed against the fibres his own body uses every night for the last 18 years.

His mind blanked for a moment, until the elf spoke up.

"Erm... kinda borrowed a shirt of yours," she said, tugging at it, "now, food Mud-boy! Rich people need that to survive too, right?"

Artemis frowned. Holly was still Holly, but she didn't seem to be entirely herself. Conflict erupted inside him as to whether or not to question this, but it seemed just too strange.

"Holly, are you feeling alright?"

Her eyes widened for a second, just enough to see they were slightly pink. In fact, she looked rather ill, as if suddenly hit with the common influenza. And she was standing slightly crooked, slouched. He should have seen it sooner.

She must have gotten in the wine some time after thoroughly knocking him out.

Post-inebriation.

She walked up to him slowly while he asked, briskly jumping to her side. "Did you drink alcohol? Why would you do something so uncharacteristic, irresponsible?"

"Don't get mad, Arty. I was just... ugh, pissed off at the world. Everything's just going terrible at the LEP, Trouble's as clingy as a child and trying to make a move on me all the time, Foaly is spying on... er... me on a regular basis..."

Artemis found two things most disturbing immediately. Trouble, though it still doesn't surprise him, and she was stretching the truth about Foaly. But he didn't necessarily mind that. His friend appeared to be in need of empathy, or at least sympathy, she was in pain.

She leaned against him and held his waist tightly with her strong, short arms, doing her best to make as much contact with him as possible. He did the only thing he could think to do at the moment. He held her back just as tightly.

They stood like that for some time before Artemis realized she was shaking. Violently. Or rather, convulsing in a way. For a moment he went white in fear of her hurling, but that wasn't the case. She was sobbing.

Everything hurt. Bad. And his arms seemed so welcoming, so warm.

She hummed lightly, enjoying the absolute silence to help nullify her pounding hangover. Of course, after about five minutes, it was kind of awkward, and Artemis attempted to pull away.

"I would recommend some liquid's. Water and milk, followed by light food. Cereal, I read somewhere, is most enjoyable after a night of excessive drinking."

"Shut up Mud-man. Carry me to food," she said, while reaching up to attempt to slap his face to silence him. Her had only managed to lay across his gargantuan (by comparison, of course) chest.

She knew something about this request. She totally knew he would never do this on a regular occasion, and she might as well use him to her benefit.

He sighed and grumbled something about similarity to American nature and she may have accidentally picked up the word cute, but she still couldn't think straight.

LAST NIGHT

"Damn Foaly, damn Trouble, damn Artemis for not noticing me, damn Juliet and Butler and everyone else I know." The young elf whipped open the last cupboard and came across something of anything to

help cheer her up. Booze.

Part of her told her she was being irrational. Stupid. But she knew two things. That's what Foaly would tell her, and that she was safe in the Fowl Manor. Safe enough to do what ever she wanted, and she was spiralling destructively at the moment. And if that's the case, if she's going to be in the 'vicious circle,' then Frond, she was going to enjoy it.

After one full wine bottle, she decided on her next course of action. Not a smart one, but one she wanted at the moment. Bad. She headed straight for the room of her painful, entirely frowned upon infatuation.

The door swung open, and her clothes were already off. Of course, she forgot he wasn't in there, and passed out the second she hit the bed anyways.

The next morning, a shirt was found and pulled on, her old clothing missing/torn.

NOW

Artemis lifted Holly with ease, she was limp in his arms. She couldn't help but gush at his arms, completely swallowing her. This was the feeling she was looking for last night. She was sort of glad he was stuck, knocked out on his little chair. Whatever she was planning in her stuppored state, it could have ruined what she wanted with him.

Or sealed it.

She wouldn't forget that thought any time soon.

As he carried her, she thought carefully. There were clearly emotions between the two of them. Artemis had, in the form of Orion, confessed many times, in many, obnoxious ways. She shuddered at the thought. He was a pain.

And she, too, had something for him. Despite all his lies and terrible deeds, those were long gone in the past. He made up for every sin. And, after all, she was most certainly the one who initiated the kiss. She loved him. She wanted him. Perhaps as bad as he wanted to love her.

But there was a problem. One that made her afraid like no fear felt before. One that rooted her to the spot some days, made Artemis's brain falter.

Whatever relationship these two could have would never last. He would die, die, die, die 10 times before she would. And her heart would break just as many times. Break to the point that her hardy life she's led, the strength and fame and experience she's had over the years...

It would all collapse into a blackness that she would never leave, probably inducing her own Atlantis Complex to such an extent, despite the supposed, modern, 'immunity' the elves have...

Everything that was important to her would be so meaningless, all over a little love. Ironic, she thought to herself, how much her life really sucks.

So, for now, she snuggled into Artemis's chest while still half-inbredded, or whatever the hell Arty called it. At least he was with her now.

A/N Thought I'd go a little more... in depth. Any flaws? Point'em out and let me burn in hell for being to lazy to proofread. And sorry for not doing that last time, I was just FLYING with the keys, ya know? Anyhow, this is over! R&R pl0x, it makes me happy face!