Chapter 62

Movie Night

Holly's POV:

"Artemis. You've been in a mood every since yesterday," I pouted as I leaned against him on my couch. I really hated to see the genius so… unlike himself.

"Well, of course, Holly. It's impossible to not 'be in a mood'. One has to feel something at all times," he lectured. I knew he was just trying to change the subject, but I couldn't help but flow with it. Talking to Arty is like being in wild rapids. You know that you shouldn't struggle, but when the water starts to pull you down, you can't just stay still.

"What about apathy? It's the utter lack of emotion."

His eyes lit up. Obviously, I had just said something fairly intelligent. "That's an interesting theory. It depends on the definition that one would use for 'nothing'."

"Nothing is….nothing," I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Holly, you can't define a word with that same word," he admonished.

"Artemis, as much as I'd love to keep playing intellectual games with you, I don't think I can keep up."

"Actually, I'm quite sure that you're more than smart enough to keep up." His smile was blinding. The type that could allow him to get away with anything.

I couldn't help but giggle. Even Foaly had a hard time keeping up at times, so how was I supposed to? "None the less, why don't we move on to our next activity?"

"Which is…?"

"Movie night!" I cheered as loudly and annoyingly as I possibly could, making sure to sound like one of those preppy girls from the movies.

The genius looked at me like I had lost my mind. Whether it was about the voice or my choice of activity, he decided to humor me. "What are you watching?"

I grinned mischievously, flicking my television to the movie setting. On the screen, in an explosive font were the words: 'Artemis Fowl: the prequel'."

Arty looked at me in surprise. "I have a movie?" Well, obviously, he wasn't as current as he'd like to believe. There were somethings that even he didn't know about the.

"Actually, I think you have either five or six. I can never remember"

He looked a me strangely. A face somewhere between surprise and constipation. "Why was I not informed?"

"To be honest, I have no clue. Since you're a human, they probably felt that they didn't have to."

"Perhaps I should sue," he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world, and I just stared at him. He had to be from another planet. There was no way that he was really human.

"Yeah, because you need the money." I rolled my eyes. There were times when it was easy to forget just how rich Arty was. But something like this would always serve to bring it back to the forefront of your mind.

"Of course I don't. It's simply the principle of the matter."

"Principles? When did you get those?"

"Hahaha. Very funny," he said. "As we both know, I was born with impeccable morals."

No one makes me laugh like Arty. Perhaps he had been born with morals, but they were by no means 'impeccable'. "I'm just going to turn on the movie before I'm hit by the lightning that's about to strike you."

And with that, I pressed play. This was the first movie, and it centered mainly around my kidnapping.

It began with 'me' slowly walking salaciously to complete the power-restoring ritual.

Artemis chuckled. "Obviously they were not trying for accuracy."

I looked at the curvaceous, busty blond Skylar Peate. "Well, apparently I should be flattered because she's the premiere star of the Lower Elements."

"I can see the appeal." Of course, she looked like she had balloons taped to her chest and a matching set to her butt. What man wouldn't love that? "But you're much more aesthetically pleasing."

I rolled. "Don't lie to me. She's beautiful. More so I am." More so than I'll ever be. Just take a look at her. She was any guy's wet dream.

"Oh Holly," he tsked. "Anyone with enough gold can look that way, but your beauty is one hundred percent natural. It's unable to be replicated by even the best plastic surgeon."

My face heated up, and I found that I couldn't make eye contact. After all, he had just called me beautiful. Again. Ugh, I hate these types of compliments.

"Computer generated? Really?" he chortled when he and Butler appeared on the screen. "Yes, no one had quite enough malice in their eyes to play you."

"Well, thank you. I try."

I sat there listening to Arty pick at every little thing that was wrong in the movie. "Ridiculous. Butler did not kill the troll, and blood did not drench the hall like that. In fact, we still have that rug." And I'll be the first to admit that he was right. The parlor on the screen was drenched in a bright crimson splatter that made the room look more like the battlefield of a war than anything else. Ah well, directors will be directors…

When the movie finally ended, Arty turned and asked me one question. "Was I really that cruel?" he asked quietly.

I stopped and thought back to the first time that I had met him. The cruel, cold, apathetic boy who had kidnapped me. I remembered being sure that I would never be released. That the blue rinse would kill us all. Sometimes the haunting look in those eyes still kept me up at night. But then I remembered how small and broken he had looked when he'd begged me to heal his mother. "Yes and no. You were cruel when you kidnapped me. But when you asked me to heal your mother… I caught my first glimpse of your spark of goodness." The spark that I had fanned and blew on until it blossomed into this overwhelming flame that sat in front of me.

He nodded. Obviously, his mind was filled with thoughts. Thoughts that I probably didn't want to interrupt. "Next movie?" I asked to shake him. No, I wasn't being selfish. I just didn't want him to wallow in thoughts of the past. After all, if he hadn't been that boy then we wouldn't be here on my couch, watching movies and enjoying each other's company.

"Yes."

I clicked over to the next screen which read 'Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident.' "I'm guessing that this deals with the B'wa Kell uprising and the subsequent rescue of my father?"

"Yep," I nodded. "Wait till you see this one."

And of course the criticisms flew thick and fast. "Honestly, you'd think that there'd been a battle involving a couple thousand soilders." He shook his head in disgust.

"I know. You should have seen the set in person. It actually looked worse then."

"Surprisingly."

We continued watching until the point where Arty was crawling through the plasma. "They do know that the plasma was orange and not green, correct?"

"Yes, I chuckled. "But they felt that orange looked too 'friendly', too much like gelatin."

He nodded. "I suppose I can see that. This green does look a bit more sinister. Though, no matter what the director chose to do, he could not remove the gelatinous appearance."

And so he movie proceeded through Cudgeon's death and so on, before getting to the rescue of Arty's father. Which happened to be the most realistic portion of the entire film. "Very close," he nodded in approval. Ha, even Artemis was unable to say anything. Perfect.

That movie ended with the final scene depicting me shooting a hole in the center of the coin. The genius next to me smirked, pulling said coin out of his shirt. "You still wear it?" I asked a bit shocked. Now that I thought about it, I haven't looked for it in a while. I suppose I just took it for granted that it was probably there.

"Of course," he chuckled. "It's supposed to remind me of my spark of decency, remember?" And he couldn't leave his decency behind. "I'm guessing our adventure with Spiro comprises the next film's events."

I nodded. Right as usual.

The movie 'Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code played. It was also surprisingly correct. Though that probably had something to do with their 'help' from an unnamed source. An unnamed, unofficial hero.

"That was one of our smoother escapades," he commented.

After everything that we had went through, I had to disagree. "No way. We ended up cutting off Spiro's thumb. And… and that's when you got wiped."

He smiled slightly. "Yes that was a rather large disappointment. The hole in an otherwise perfect plan."

"A rather large disappointment? That's all you have to say about losing all of your fairy memories?"

"Well, obviously I didn't miss them at the time because I did not know that I had ever had them. And when I regained them, regrets did not really matter anymore," he lectured in his superior, swaggering tone. "So, did you miss me while I was… incapacitated?"

I sighed, thinking of all of the tears that I had cried for him. All of the times that I had lamented the loss of our friendship. "You just really want to hear me say that I did, don't you?"

He locked onto me with his blue eye and my own hazel one. "Humor me… please." Ugh, just by using one simple word. One simple, normal word. He may not be a fairy, but he must have some sort of Mesmer to get me to do everything that he wants me to.

"Fine. I really missed you. A lot." One of the largest understatements that I have ever made. "Can we just move on to the next movie?" Because if we kept talking then I might have told him how I cried every night for weeks, and how I never stopped thinking about him.

He nodded, obviously satisfied. Well, my best friend is a lot of things including cocky and proud. Just knowing that I missed him was more than enough to fuel his ego for a few more days. At that point, it'll be up to me to either give him another boost or stab a knife through his ego all depending on my mood, of course.

I sighed, flipping to the next movie. A part of me considered skipping it, but another part couldn't. I sighed again before pressing play.

The movie began with me going back and forth over the whole major decision. And it followed me over the next few hours as we pieced together the Scalene problem. Next, Root and I were in E1 and looking at the face of Opal Koboi.

"We have to get ourselves and Scalene out of here," The actor playing Root grumbled, his skin as red as a beet root, but nowhere near as red as the real Root. And to be fair, there was no one else who could be that red.

The character playing me nodded as Root approached Scalene and tossed him over his shoulders. The octobonds detached and in slow motion wrapped around Root, knocking him to the ground. He laid there with the Opal on his chest grinning malevolently. "Commander Root, you've chosen to go first." She leered as a timer began ticking down. One minute to live.

"Captain Short. I'll give you a chance, which is a lot more than what you gave to me."

"Why would you give me a chance?"

"Call it a sporting favor," she leered. "A chance to save your precious Commander Root."

"What do I have to do?" I could see the hope and determination shining in the character on the screen that was supposed to be me. The same hope that I had had during the real encounter. The same hope that was about to be extinguished.

"On the screen, there's a spot. The red dot… hit that, release the binding, and you both walk out of here. But miss it, even by a hair, and you overload the system and well...bye-bye Julius."

I stood, shifting my weapon from automatic to manual. I held up my neutrino, briefly took aim, and fired. The blue pulse moved in slow motion, sinking directly into the red dot." Yes, I got it!" I shouted in a moment of pure jubilation.

"Ooooh, I don't know. I think you were a bit high, better luck next time. I'm sorry, and I really mean that." The numbers reappeared, ticking even faster than before.

The commander looked at me with love and no judgement in his eyes. "Be well." And the explosion burst forth from the device in an orange corona of plasma that destroyed him.

It was a movie. Just a movie. Yet, it had happened. To me, Root had laid on the ground and begged me not to take the shot. Opal had murdered him, and I had helped.

I could feel the tears pressing on my ducts, begging to escape. And I think that somehow Arty could too because he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his side. "It's not your fault," he murmured. "Opal is insane, but she is also a genius. As a fellow mastermind, I can tell you that she had it planned perfectly. She had already taken each of your actions and personalities into account. There was no escape. Not really."

That shouldn't have made me feel better, but it did. It was nice to hear that it wasn't my fault and it was reassuring to know that it came from him. "I disobeyed him, and shot the spot."

"Holly, he knew you too. He never truly expected you to obey him," he said gently rubbing my back as I inhaled deeply, taking in his masculine scent. A scent that was so uniquely his.

"You're an amazing friend," I said. Had it been any of the others, I would have drawn away. I would have wanted to be independent, to show no fear. But I could depend on Arty. We'd been through so much. So much that I could show him every part of me, and it would never make him see me as less than I truly am.

"And you're much better," he said. After a moment of silence, he asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Better." And I was. But I had to tell the truth. Commander Root's death was still a gaping hole in my heart. One that I'm not sure will ever fill completely.

"I don't believe that," he muttered. And I hadn't expected him to. After all, if he was that easy to fool then he wouldn't be my best friend. "Perhaps you'd let me try something?"

I nodded. He leaned in and kissed my forehead and then each of my cheeks. His lips were warm and soft as they gently grazed my skin, leaving his scent to tickle my nostrils. "W…what was that?"

"My mother always did that when I was a child. Psychologically, it was supposed to show that I really am here for you." Of course, it was just psychology. That was why I was feeling giddy. It was just a physical response to stimuli.

"Th…th…thanks," I stammered, my face bright red. I turned back to the screen trying to catch up on the movie. Yet, it was hard to concentrate with Arty's arm thrown casually around me.

I scooted away just a bit. Of course, that automatically drew his attention. "I'm sorry. Do I smell unpleasant?"

"Of course not."

"Then is there a particular reason that you are moving away from me?"

"I just wanted to be sure that you were comfortable." I knew that my excuse was weak at best and from Arty's shaking head, he felt the same.

"I was. Thank you for asking."

I sighed, maneuvering myself back into his embrace. It was easier to watch the rest of the movie and see action instead of emotional display. Soon enough, it too was over, and so I turned to the fifth and last Artemis Fowl movie.

"Last one," I said.

"The Lost Colony? The demons, I suppose?"

"Yes."

This film was done a bit differently. It constantly shifted from the point of view of Hybras to reality that centered on Arty and I and No 1.

The latter scenes about the time tunnel were fascinating even to one who was there. It was illustrated as a gold and blue swirl of light that seemed to grow and swell of its own accord.

Though my favorite scene was the one where Arty and I switched eyes. His look of surprise when he realized that one was hazel and the other blue… priceless. Right before it ended, my character stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Until next time." And it ended.

"You do realize that we've effectively used 12 hours or ¾ of the day that is not used for sleeping, correct?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I realize that. That was the plan." I shook my head. "So, what did you think?"

"The latter three were of a much more accurate and aesthetically pleasing bent. I'm guessing a change of directors."

I just nodded. After a while, you get used to him knowing everything. The sky is blue, and Arty is pretty much knowledgeable about everything. "Yes, the guy's name is Eoin Colfer."

"Hmm, I would not mind working with him on a project or two."

"Artemis Fowl? Saying something nice about someone? Being willing to work with someone else?"

"Even I must accept Colfer's genius." Once again, color me surprised. Yes, I was surprised but also proud of how… different he is now. After all, the old Artemis Fowl would never have given a compliment. He wouldn't even have known how to. Yet this Arty was everything. Kind, sweet, funny, and…. solely unique.

"Good for you," I yawned. According to the clock, it was midnight.

"Time for you to sleep," he said gently.

"You too," I yawned again.

He nodded. "Yes, me too." The two of us struggled free from the soft grip of the couch and into our respective beds.

"Night," I called.

"Good-night Holly," He took my hand and gently placed a kiss on it. "Until tomorrow." And with that, he entered his room, leaving me to stand there in confusion.

After a moment, I shook myself and went into my own room, promising to try to unravel the complex puzzle of Artemis Fowl another day. As for now…Holly Short is going to sleep.

A/N:

Well, that's another chapter down! Yay! Thank you. Your love is very much appreciated. ;)

So, I know a lot of you guys are kind of worried about the length of this story. I'll be honest: It's long. After all, this story is a realistic development of their feelings. It'll take a while, but the reward is worth the time. Trust me, and keep reading. Please…for me.

So, yeah, thanks to all of my reviewers and people who added me or this story to favorites. I love you guys. Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;)

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Yours truly, madly, and deeply,

Einstinette