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1.
It almost didn't count, and as his first attempt at a kiss, it wasn't all that spectacular. But beggars really can't be choosers, as the saying went. Then again, Holly almost had to give him points for even having the bravery (balls) to make the attempt. They were about to leave Artemis's past, eager to get back to their own time so they could save Artemis's mother. Holly was still furious with Artemis, seeing as he had lied to her. How could he not trust her? It was like the old days all over again.
They were standing very still, back in their underwear, waiting for Number One to activate the spell that would bring them home. The lemur was in a cage, held tightly under Artemis's arm like he was afraid something was going to fly across the room and take it from him. Holly huffed. Silly human. If he didn't stop standing there like that she was going to fly across the room and break his nose.
"Holly," Artemis said quietly, still not looking in her direction because they were in their underwear, after all. "How mad are you?"
Holly's reply was icy, even if she couldn't glare at him like she wanted to. "Very, mud boy," she said frostily, anger still pulsing in her head and closing up her throat.
"Ah," was all he said, and Holly should have known something was coming. The great Artemis Fowl the Second never said something as short and inarticulate as 'ah'. All of a sudden, Artemis darted over, kissed her right on the lips as her eyes widened in shock, and then leapt back. "How about now?" he asked calmly, still eyeing a particular corner of the ceiling.
Holly leapt with the intention of wrapping her hands around his throat and throttling him to death, but the time-shift caught her in midair, whisking them away before she could make it.
2.
"This is Captain Short, bringing in Artemis Fowl by the order of the LEPrecon. Clear your shuttle terminal or we will come in there and start a mass panic," said Holly angrily into her pilot mike. They had been waiting for five minutes in this cramped little shuttle, with Holly in the pilot seat and Artemis in the co-pilot seat next to her. Of course, he had been told under no uncertain circumstances that if he touched anything, he was going to lose that hand. Permanently.
They had just spent one cramped, bumpy ride from Ireland to Haven, and Holly was in no mood to play games with some stupid d'arviting desk fairy.
"Sweetie, you can't really have a human in your shuttle. It's just not possible," drawled the bored voice of a pixie over the mike system within the shuttle pod. "That sort of thing only happens in holovids."
Holly adjusted her head set, wishing she had her helmet with its live feed option. Then she could show this stupid pixie a thing or two. But her helmet was currently in for repairs her and Artemis's last adventure (something about unicorns and toxic slime had been mentioned on the report to Central) so she only had her pilot's headset. Which she was now using to its full capacity as she all but screamed into the mike, "Listen, you stupid half-wit," she said, pausing for a second when she realized she had sounded eerily like Artemis for a second, "You have five seconds before I come down there and shove your stupid head up your-"
"Excuse me," said Artemis, leaning into the mike. His voice was the icy pre-fairy voice that she hadn't heard in a long time. It was still as menacing as ever, and it sent shivers down her spine. "I do believe that I exist, and this meaningless discussing is aggravating me. I would do as the Captain says, for I assure you she means every word." Holly blinked. He sounded so…evil. She was glad he didn't sound like that all the time anymore.
The shaken voice of the desk pixie came over the shuttle's speakers, saying, "Y-yes of c-course, right away sir. The lobby will be clear in ten minutes, Captain." Then there was the hurried click of the mike system being turned off, probably to avoid the Arctic voice on the other end calling to make more demands.
"Nice, Arty," said Holly, looking up. Her breath stopped short, realizing the situation they were in. He was right there, leaning into her personal space, so close to each other that their noses were touching. His wide eyes were staring into hers, the bright blue and hazel so close to her it was all she could see. She could feel his slightly-fast breathing on her lips, and felt the heat of his hand as it clutched the armrest of the pilot's chair, to help him lean in and speak into the mike. She felt her heart race and her breath coming out in one sharp exhalation of shock. She knew he felt it on his skin because his eyes widened and he breathed in quickly, the closest to a gasp she had ever seen him come.
Then his lips moved, meeting her in a sweet, but brief kiss. Holly didn't even have the time to come out of her shock and do something before he pulled away, straightening fully in his co-pilot chair. Holly just sat there in a daze, breathing fast and light with her heart pounding, wondering if that had really just happened.
"My apologies," said Artemis smoothly, with a brief, crooked smile that lit his eyes with a flash of humor. "I just couldn't help myself."
3.
"D'arvit. How does this always end up happening to us?" asked Holly, teeth chattering, hugging her arms to her chest.
In the dark next to her, she heard Artemis say, "To be honest, I stopped asking myself that a couple years ago. Murphy's law seems to like us."
"Well, I wish it didn't," said Holy, shivering as she pulled her wet clothing closer around her frigid body.
They were trapped in a cave, far below the earth. Artemis had been called upon to analyze a strange lake they had found in a cavern the fairy people had been exploring. This part of the underground was very cold, and was thus mainly uncharted by fairies. But the presence of a lake this far underground had drawn a fair amount of scientific interest and the Fairy Council had deemed it important enough for further study. But to help with the analyzing of the lake environment, they had needed Artemis for his scientific prowess, and so Artemis was sent down with his usual slightly disgruntled escort, Holly.
Holly guessed the only reason Artemis had taken this job was because she would be there with him. He never did anything unless there was something in it for him. Vinyaya was probably aware of this, which is why whenever the fairy people needed Artemis to do anything, she always seemed to end up doing it with him.
So there they had been, crawling around the edge of this lake in a pitch-black cave, with nothing but a headlamp for possible illumination (another reason Holly suspected Artemis had ulterior motives for taking this job, he hated to get dirty) when something out in the lake had moved. At first, Holly hadn't thought of the ripples on the water, thinking it was nothing but the traffic vibration often found in the city. But upon coming to the realization that they were in the middle of nowhere, Holly had told the team to get back. Fast.
Only Artemis had listened, and only he had moved fast enough.
In less than a second something burst out of the lake and grabbed the science team, hauling them back into the water. Holly hadn't seen much in the scant light, just catching a glimpse of green, barbed tentacles writhing. Artemis, having the sense to listen to her warning, just made it away and was soon next to her in the dark. Together, they had run for the exit, a tube-like tunnel that led back to the city. They had just made it inside when the world had shook around them and they were thrown to the ground as the tunnel collapsed behind them. A wave of water made its way down the passageway, knocking her off of her feet and soaking her from head to toe. When she pulled herself out of the water and onto a nearby ledge, her headlamp wasn't working. Fighting back her claustrophobia in the dark, she had called out and guided Artemis to the ledge she was on. There they now sat, waiting to be rescued. Joy.
"Foaly will tell them where we are," said Holly confidently, curling further into a ball, trying to conserve body heat. "I know he's been closely monitoring this mission, and I've set my tracker to send a mayday signal. They should be here within the hour."
"I certainly hope we can last that long," remarked Artemis, and Holly knew by 'we' he had actually meant 'you'. H e had managed to avoid the water somehow, and by being closer to the rock fall the flood had swept right by him. She was the only one soaked in thirty degree weather.
"Like I s-said, F-foaly will c-come for us," said Holly shakily, strong shivers running through her body. Her teeth were chattering, and she was pretty sure if she could see them her lips would be blue. Her magic was keeping her body temperature above freezing, but that was all it was doing. Fairies were not meant for cold weather, and her body couldn't cope with being this cold. She couldn't ignore it; if her magic ran out she would die very quickly.
"Holly?" she heard Artemis ask, and his wandering hand, feeling around for her in the dark, touched her arm. He retracted it immediately, and she heard him move closer. "Holly, for goodness sake, you're freezing!"
"R-really? I h-hadn't n-noticed," said Holly sarcastically, feeling the tremors roll through her body. There was no warning; all of a sudden Holly felt arms wrap around her, pulling her body into a warm chest. Oh my god, he was going to die.
"W-what are you d-doing, A-artemis?" said Holy, exasperated. She moved, trying to break free, but Artemis just held her tighter.
"Don't be stupid, Holly," said Artemis's tense voice in the dark. "You're going to freeze to death if I can't get you warm." Holly tried to resist, she really did, but her body was rebelling as it moved flat against his warm body until there was no space between them. She sighed in relief, starting to feel warmer already. Holly sensed Artemis's arm move and felt a hand reaching for the zipper of her coat. Holly renewed her struggle, head whipping around frantically in the dark. "Holly, calm down!" barked Artemis, obviously trying to contain an armful of struggling elf. "I just need to get your coat off! It will only sap your body heat unless you remove it now." Understanding flowed through Holly, and she stopped struggling, letting Artemis remove her coat. She heard him put it down beside them, and an arm pulled her close to a solid, warm chest. His hand moved, zipping the coat up around them both. Silence reigned in the cavern.
"You know, Artemis, if this were any other situation I would have killed you by now," said Holly, leaning her head against his neck, moving her arms until they were wrapped around his chest. She put an ear lower to his chest, hearing the air move in and out of his lungs.
"I am aware," said Artemis dryly, one arm still holding Holly tight to his body. Holly didn't see as much as she felt his smile, the small, dry one he used when he found something humorous. Slowly, the shaking in Holly's body subsided, giving way to the occasional shiver, and Holly truly gradually became aware of exactly where she was. She was practically straddling Artemis, leaning against his chest with her arms around him. If anyone ever caught them like this, Holly would die of embarrassment. But, it had been life or death and Holly would always choose life, no matter what the cost. If life involved being physically and mentally close to Artemis, well, that wouldn't be too bad. Not bad at all, really. Holly was safely in warmer temperatures now, but she really didn't want to move just yet. Unwilling to part from her heat source, she relaxed into his arms and just let herself enjoy the contentment of the situation. Artemis wasn't talking, probably figuring it would be more awkward for her if he reminded her he was there, hoping she would forget. As if that would ever happen. A sudden idea flashed through her head, and she smiled in the dark. She never had gotten him back for the shuttle incident, or the time-travelling incident, for that matter.
Slowly, Holly withdrew one arm from around his back. He moved a bit, probably wondering if she wanted to get out now that she was warm. Instead, she took her fingers and lightly ran them down his chest. One ear still against his chest, she heard his breathing stop, then start again, only lighter and faster. His heart was speeding up too, not by much, but just enough to be noticeable. Holly smiled to herself. Take that, Artemis. Still running her fingers lightly over his chest, she leaned up, right at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. She dug the fingers of her other hand into Artemis's back. Leaning in, she put her mouth inches from his skin and breathed out, causing a violent shudder to run through Artemis's body. Holly listened as Artemis tried, and failed, to control his breathing. "Holly," Artemis gasped out, his fingers clutching at her back. "What are you doing?" Holly chuckled, pressed up against Artemis as his breathing moved from light and fast to borderline hyperventilation.
"Why, whatever do you mean?" she asked innocently, so close to his skin that her lips brushed his neck. Holly smirked crookedly against his bare skin. Payback was a bitch. Then, thinking of the way he had trapped her in the shuttle, she leaned forward, lightly running the tip of her tongue gently up his neck. Take that again, Artemis!
Artemis jerked his head a little, and the hand on her hip tightened as he shivered. His head tipped back the barest bit, and Holly took the advantage to move up a little further and breathe on the skin behind his ear. She felt every single muscle in his body clench, and figured she had found one of his sensitive spots. In the pitch black of the cave, Holly didn't see his hand coming until it found her chin, hastily moving her face up to meet his. Artemis's movements weren't rough, just hurried, like meeting her face like this was imperative. She only felt his breath on her face for a millisecond before his lips crashed down on hers.
Holly made a small sound, fisting her hand in his shirt. He had taken her completely by surprise, both with the speed of his movements and the urgency of his lips on hers. This was not like the other kisses had been, all gentle movements and sweet hesitance. No, this time his lips moved strongly against hers the hand that had been gripping her side now moving to the back of her head. It gripped her short hair, while his lips hungrily claimed hers. There was a second where Holly was still in shock and unable to move. But as began to move his lips coaxingly against hers, she moved with him, matching the fervor and the passion. In the inky darkness of the passage, Holly couldn't see Artemis's face, but she could feel. She felt his racing heart, his fingers buried in her hair, and his lips moving frantically with hers.
Hey broke apart, lungs racing as they tried to catch their breath. Holly thought that she should say something, but didn't know what. She felt Artemis's head move as he looked over her shoulder.
"Hello Foaly," said Artemis, and Holly felt the mischievous smirk that he was fighting to keep down.
Holly's eyes widened.
"Did you enjoy the whole show?" Artemis asked, his voice a perfect deadpan.
"You are so going to get it, Arty-boy," said the voice of Foaly, menacingly coming from the dark. The clip-clop of hooves moved towards the two people in then parka. Holly slowly turned back to Artemis, wrath building in every cell of her body.
"You. Will. Die," said Holly slowly, and in the dark Artemis gave a quiet, low chuckle. Or a small sound of fear. Holly couldn't tell, and frankly, didn't care.
Between the two of them, it was only obscene amounts of luck that kept Artemis out of the hospital.
4.
Artemis's slow breathing filled the shuttle, slowly driving anyone who wasn't already crazy to the point of madness. The back room of the underwater shuttle was empty because most people had fled to the front of the ship, unable to bear the silent boy sitting in the corner. The gentle hum of the engines and the rocking of the shuttle mixed with the rasp of air being dragged in and out of tired lungs. While Artemis's breathing was fast from just barely holding back a panic attack, it was carefully and evenly mechanical. As was his finger tapping, his fingernail making perfect sets of five while his breathing counted perfect sets of ten. There would be ten shallow, rapid breaths, five steady finger taps, and then the boy would pause and start the cycle over again. This is what had driven everyone away, except for Butler outside the door (ensuring his master's privacy) and Holly in the seat in front of his.
Artemis sat with his elbows braced against his knees, back curved while his hands gently fisted in his hair. Holly could see the tension carried in his shoulders, his (rather small) muscles clearly defined through the thin white button-down shirt. Through the shield of his slightly messy hair, Holly could see his eyes were drawn in pain, the dark circles beneath them making his look wan and sick. As Holly watched, Artemis squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, a single bead of sweat dripping off of his nose. He looked, to her, both haunted and defeated.
Holly, unsure of what to do, moved over until she was sitting next to him on the bench. Gently, she started to rub the tense muscles of his back, trying to soothe him like she would have if he had been sick. "How are you doing, Arty?" asked Holly, trying to comfort him by letting warmth color her voice. Artemis trembled, jerking away from her hand a little before leaning into her touch. He shook his head back and forth, fists holding his hair tighter, seeming at war with himself.
"I am falling apart, Holly," said Artemis quietly. Holly winced. Five words. Artemis seemed to shake harder, and Holly was surprised he wasn't pulling his hair out by the roots. Through his screen of hair Holly saw his eyes go wide. "I feel so unstable, almost like I cannot trust the world around me to not move from underneath my feet." Holly grew concerned, seeing the white of his knuckles, so she took her hand from his back. She reached up and gently disentangled his fingers from his hair. Holly then took his hands and clasped them in hers.
"You're going to hurt yourself. Here, if you need to, squeeze my hands instead," Holly said quietly, looking down at the hands that were shaking in hers. Looking up, she saw Artemis turn on the bench to face her, the two of them now sitting so that their knees barely touched. His head still bowed, he barely looked up at her (for once, he was the one looking up), preferring to stare down at his knees instead. Artemis was breathing hard now, his teeth slightly bared as he shook, fighting for control. "Artemis!" Holly said sharply. His eyes flickered upward, and she gave him a look that told him trying to be brave was stupid and overrated. "Let me help you," she pleaded, almost begging him. She couldn't stand to see him hurting like this.
Artemis breathed out shakily, gripping Holly's hands so tight it was her fingers turning white this time. He was bent over now like someone had punched him in the stomach, his breathing so fast it was almost breaking out of his tight control of breathing in fives. In a second, Artemis's eyes went wide. "Holly, I…I can't stop," said Artemis softly, panic in his eyes. Then, Holly felt pure terror flow through her veins as Artemis's control broke, hyperventilating as she felt the pressure on her fingers increase.
"Artemis. Artemis!" Holly yelled, and his head shot up for the first time to look Holly square in her eyes. His hair, mussed and sticking up in clumps where he had grabbed it, obscured portions of his face. The wild light of panic shone in his eyes, and too many months of not eating right had left his face pale with sharp angles. He looked, in every sense, quite deranged. "It's okay!" shouted Holly. "Just…just keep listening to my voice. Focus on that, okay?" He gave a jerky nod, holding on to her fingers for dear life. She then proceeded to talk about anything that came into her mind, hoping the sound of her voice would calm him down. He was still clasping her hand in an iron grip, gentle tremors running through his body. It took five minutes before Artemis's breathing had calmed down to the point where she had settled back into his pattern of fives.
Finally, Artemis sighed, letting go of Holly's hands. "Thank you very much, Holly," he said quietly. He looked tired and worn.
"Don't you dare mention it," said Holly fiercely. "It's nothing, okay?"
"It's not nothing to me," said Artemis, closing his eyes and leaning his head against Holly's shoulder. She was surprised, seeing as the free expression of emotion for Artemis was as rare as seeing him frolicking in the sunlight. But she smiled slightly, running her fingers through his slightly-disarrayed hair before smoothing it a little. Against her shoulder, she felt and heard him mumble a little.
"What's wrong, Artemis?" Holly asked, worried there was another episode of some sort coming.
"Orion will not shut up," said Artemis, sounding cross. Holly felt a stab of worry. It could not be a good sign if the disorder had progressed to the point where Artemis was hearing voices.
"Is there anything I can do?" asked Holly, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"I suppose there is something you can do for me," said Artemis slowly, whether from genuine hesitation or the fact that he was still counting his words. He pulled his head off her shoulder, giving her a small smile. To Holly, his eyes looked so, so tired, and her heart almost broke at the sight of him. He seemed lost, scared, and alone. She would have done anything to make that look in his eyes disappear like rain in the summer sun. So when he leaned in to touch his lips to hers, she moved to meet him, feeling his other hand reach up to grasp her shoulder. Artemis's kiss was slow, languid, as if he wanted to feel every inch of her lips like they were his own. Holly's head was spinning, her world narrowing down to just her and Artemis. Again, this kiss was different from the others. The first two had been light, having a slight feel of mischief to them and a total lack of any sort of long-term consequences. Both were events Holly could dismiss easily as Artemis being confounding, as usual. The third kiss had been the first thing to really give Holy pause. It had been electric, passionate, and filed with feelings Holly hadn't wanted to confront in Artemis or herself. This kiss, however, was slow and bittersweet. Holly could feel, for the first time, the words that Artemis could never say. His 'I love you' was sinking under her skin, igniting into fire that danced across their lips. Yet, Holly could almost taste Artemis's pain, the agony of wanting something you knew you could never have.
They broke apart slowly, both lingering near the other. Artemis, instead of pulling back and having to look her in the eyes, simply moved until his face was resting against her cheek. Holly was hesitant, wanting to comfort him but at the same time wanting to pull away. She was feeling so conflicted about so many things, feeling that any choice she made would kill them forever. A perfect catch-22. So she made no choice at all, staying in the moment.
Artemis breathed out shakily, not from holding back need this time but from holding back tears. "Orion is much quieter now," he said softly, and Holly felt his lone tear on her cheek, slipping down and disappearing as she felt him fracture in the silence.
5.
The air of the cell was dank and cold, filled with the stench of mildew, seaweed, and rotten fish. There was little to no light in the room, the only illumination coming from the barred glass window that shone from the sea outside. While they were too far down for any sunlight to penetrate the deep water, the outside was lit by shimmering green lights that gave the room an eerie glow. The floor was dirty metal, the occasional puddle spawning the algae that crawled the floor and walls. The only door out of the place was locked tight, leaving no room for escape.
The silence was complete except for the sound of their breathing, the fog of their breath billowing out in the cold room. The two lay on the floor, sprawled and panting from the exertion of fighting their captors. The goblins had removed their cuffs before pushing them into the cell, and Holly had staged a brief coup. Artemis had joined in the moment he had seen her leap, together almost overpowering the guards before back-up had come with meaty fists and buzz batons. They had been beaten, shocked, and them thrust unceremoniously into their current cell. Holly tried to sit up and winced, grabbing her side. One of them had kicked her hard in the kidney, and she knew there'd be blood in her urine the next time she went to the bathroom. Just her luck. There was blood oozing down her face from a cut on her cheek, and her foot was either badly bruised or broken. Slowly, she pulled herself into a sitting position, lamenting the fact that she was running low on magic again. She had probably used the last of it to stop some internal bleeding.
"I hate Mondays," said Artemis dryly from her other side, coughing as he sat up. Holy had to laugh, causing the pain in her side to flare up and for her to grit her teeth in pain.
"Every day is a Monday with us," gasped Holy, still curled up in pain. Gradually, the agony subsided to a dull throb, and Holly gingery uncurled her body. Turning to face Artemis, she gasped in shock.
While Butler had been giving Artemis lessons on self defense, he was still no match for someone on Holly's level, and it showed in the amount of damage he had taken. His eye was swollen, a black eye and a split lip marring his features. His skin, usually pale and clean as new-fallen snow, was quickly turning all manner of colors as bruises formed, the most impressive of which was the necklace of purple around his throat where someone had tried to choke him into submission. While his clothing hid the rest of his skin, Holly was sure he would be mottled with bruises by tomorrow.
"Apparently, Butler needs to step up his lessons," said Artemis through gritted teeth as he also rose into a sitting position. Dragging the heel of his hand over his bloody lip, he winced. Holy scooted across the floor, avoiding standing on her bad ankle, until she was right next to Artemis. Gently, she probed his face, looking for fractures and finding none. So, she moved to running her fingers over the undamaged portion of his face, looking to soothe rather than to probe.
"You look quite a sight," said Holly gently as they leaned against the cell wall.
"The same goes for you, Captain Short," Artemis said, gazing down at her with his one good eye. "I can barely recognize you under all that dirt and blood."
"You're a far cry from spotless yourself, Mud Boy," said Holly, indulging in a little chuckle as she leaned against his side, snuggling in close. It was very cold this far down in the ocean, and both she and Artemis were shivering. Keeping each other warm made sense. In response, Artemis pulled her closer with one arm until she rested right against his side. Realizing the position they were in, Holly had to laugh out loud. "This is like déjà vu all over again!"
"I suppose it is," came Artemis's voice from above her. Holly could feel the vibration of it flow through her body, and she closed her eyes. They stayed like that, silent and still in the semi-dark of the ocean cell. Koboi would pay for this, thought Holly. She was going to be sure to capture Opal and lock her away for the rest of her days for ruining one of her few days off. Holly had been topside, enjoying a nice summer day with Artemis (she had forced him outside), when she had felt a prick at the back of her neck and the whole world had blurred into darkness. The next thing she knew, she was being dragged into the Deeps by Opal Koboi and her henchfairies. She had given them the usual speech, blah blah world dominance blah blah you cannot escape blah blah blah, before leaving her two goblin henchmen to throw them into the cell. Holly, still being under the influence of the drugs, didn't have the strength to fight them.
She still felt a little funny, now that she started to check over her mental and physical state. Her head felt woozy, like she's had one too many nettle beers, and her whole body felt odd. She suddenly felt the urge to giggle insanely and squashed it viciously. "Artemis?" she asked cautiously, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "Do you feel…weird, by any chance?"
Normally, Artemis would have a dozen witty things to say in response to a statement like that. But today…
"As a matter of fact, yes," said Artemis, a funny look crossing his face. "The aftereffects of the tranquilizer Opal used must have been creeping up on us for some time now." His face suddenly broke into a wide grin, scaring the crap out of Holly for a second before returning to its normal, controlled state. "Linear thought is becoming rather… difficult," said Artemis, face struggling to remain composed as a blush spread over his cheeks. He began to tug at his collar. "Holly, does it feel hot in here to you? It was cold a second ago, but now…"
"No," said Holly, desperately trying to keep her words from slurring. "My head feelzz funny, though." She was still freezing, but the tranq's effect on her seemed to be something along the lines of intoxication. She struggled to keep a clear head and figure out what was happening to Artemis. Apparently the affects of whatever Opal had used were different for fairies and humans.
"I really do love y…lollipops," said Artemis suddenly, before clamping his jaw tightly shut, a shocked look on his face. Holly could only stare, trying to figure out whether she had actually heard that or not. It took her three seconds to burst into hysterical laughter, that really hurt her aching body, but hey, it was worth it. Artemis looked like he wanted to clap both hands over his mouth in the hopes of not letting any more words escape. "I assure you, I did not mean to say that," he said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Apparently, he was still overheating in sub-zero temperatures. "I think the effect of the drug's on me is like truth serum. I'll say whatever pops into my head when asked a question." It took Holly nearly a minute to wind down in her near intoxicated state, but soon she was wiping the tears from her eyes and smiling up at him.
"Got anything else you'd like to share with me?" she gasped out, beaming expectantly up at Artemis. He seemed to struggle not to speak for a second, but to no avail.
"I love y…romance novels. I like reading them when no one is watching, and have a couple of my own in print," Artemis said, this time actually clapping a hand over his mouth as he blushed bright red. Holly was in hysterics again, her face buried in Artemis's shirt as she laughed like she hadn't in a long time.
'Ah, Arty, this is just too good! I love it when you say stuff like this! To think, the great Artemis Fowl the Second writes romance novels. What else do you have for me?" she asked with a grin on her face, leaning in like a small child ready to hear a secret.
There was a flash of panic that shone for an instant in Artemis's eyes, and before Holly could really register it, Artemis blurted out, "I love you."
This time there was no laughter, only stunned silence broken only by the steady drip of water into a puddle in the corner. "What?" whispered Holly, eyes wide in the near dark. "How? When?"
Before he could stop himself, Artemis began to talk as if the words were just leaping out of his mouth. "I think it started from the first moment I saw you. You were so alien and exquisite that I felt guilt for the first time, treating you the way I did. As the years went by and we had more adventures, I felt…magnetized to you. It was like you were a strong force that I could not pull away from, no matter how hard I tried. And when you kissed me, that time in the cage, it was like everything had fallen into place, as much I wish it hadn't. Once you have a realization like that, you can't go back, not ever. You have changed me from the first moment, and I owe everything I am today to you. But how could you return my feelings? You are of a different species. So I hinted, and waited, because if we were to have something you would have to be the one to initiate it. And now," said Artemis with quiet fervor,"The only thing I know is that I cannot stand to lose you. Not now, not ever, even though this may break what we have apart."
Artemis leaned down, and Holly, still trying to process all that he had just told her, asked, "What are you doing?"
Artemis smiled sadly, and said, "If this is the last time I shall see you, either because of Opal or because you no longer want my company, I want you to have one last thing to remember me by."
"Artemis," Holly started, "I…" But Artemis leaned in to cut her off, effectively interrupting whatever she was about to say. His lips met hers, and for a moment Holly forgot how to breathe, she forgot where she was, she forgot her own name. Artemis took both his hands and cradled her face. She had never been kissed like this before. It was like passion, like fire burning all the way through her being, all the way down to her soul. As he was still kneeling, Holly rose to her knees and grabbed her shoulders, retuning the kiss with all of her might. She didn't know what to think about Artemis's confession. How could anything between them work, fairies and humans being so different from each other? All she knew right now were two things: she didn't think she could live without this human anymore, and she wanted more of him. Living in the moment was the only way she could not think about the future, and the difficult choice she needed to make.
Their lips moved frantically together, and Holly dug her fingers into Artemis's shoulder. Higher thought had been obliterated, and all she could think was more. Moving her hands from her shoulder to her chest, she clutched his shirt and pulled him closer, mashing her lips against his. Holly felt Artemis's tongue, moving like flame against her lips, and Holly opened her mouth to meet his. Immediately Artemis made a small sound that was swallowed in their mouths like sweet wine and rose to his knees, pulling her flush against his body. Tilting his head down to meet Holly's, his hands disappeared from her lower back, where they had moved to pull her close, and re-appeared in her hair, fisting it to deepen the kiss. Holly's thought process started and stopped haltingly as she felt Artemis's tongue sweep around the inside of her mouth (he is a genius, after all, and is good at almost all things he put his mind to).
Touch. Taste. Heat. Holly's brain couldn't keep up. Eventually, the need to breathe became too much. Holly broke off, taking great gulps of air as Artemis did the same. Shaking, Holly felt Artemis's lips move gently down the side of her face. They barely touched her ear, but Holly made a wild, inarticulate sound and shuddered. Holly felt Artemis's face lift into a smile against her face before moving the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He chuckled softly as Holly shivered, before kissing and gently biting the spot; not enough to leave a mark, but enough to certainly feel. Holly gasped, and fingers spasmed into tighter fists around the cloth of his shirt. "Arty," she (almost) moaned, her head tipping back.
Before she could say anything else, the door began to open, and Artemis and Holly quickly let go of each other until they were simply facing off on their knees. In the next second, a swarm of people had moved into the room and secured them in bonds in a heartbeat. "Come," snarled one of the goblins. "Opal is expecting your swift arrival." The two prisoners were dragged to their feet, Holly crying out as she was forced to put weight on her abused ankle. Five goblins gagged them, then proceeded to frog-march them out of the cell and down the dark hallway. Holly wanted to vomit she was in so much pain, but she simply went limp and let them drag her down the hall. This served to keep Holly off of her probably broken ankle and to make her seem weaker than she really was. Looking over at Artemis, she saw him just barely walking under his own power; head held high with a pride that was simple second nature to the young heir. She exchanged a glance with Artemis, one filled with a lifetime of words.
We may not get out of this one. The message in Holly's eyes was clear as a crystal stream.
Watching her partner's mismatched eyes, she received her reply in their depths. I know, and I love you.
Holly wished she could speak out loud. Thinking back to that sentence she had never finished, she wished she could turn back the clock. But what would she have said? She couldn't even begin to describe how she felt about Artemis. If only she had taken the time to put her feelings for him into words. At least then he would die (no, she couldn't think that) knowing. "Stop," hissed the lead goblin. The whole party came to a halt, and Holly suddenly had that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach she got when something was about to go horribly wrong. The lead goblin moved to face the both of them. He had a nasty gash above his eye (inflicted by Artemis) and a nicely split lip (courtesy of Holly). The goblin grinned, evil humor sparkling in his eyes. "We have time before she expects us," the goblin hissed, advancing menacingly, "And I feel like paying back our little friends for the wounds they gave us." Violent mutters of agreement came from the rest of the guards, and Holly turned to see the fear in Artemis's eyes.
Someone help us, they pleaded to her, and Holly wished she could speak as the guards advanced upon them with murderous intent. The most important words were always the ones left unspoken.
1.
The glaring light from the hospital ceiling seemed to drive a spike straight into Holly's brain. Seriously, when on earth would humans find something better than fluorescent lighting? Even shielded, and inside her helmet, she still felt it searing into her. Burning. Looking past her, shining beyond her, just like a pair of mismatched eyes in the sallow face of a certain boy genius. Looking at his face as he lay in the narrow hospital bed, she prayed, she wished, she willed every particle of her body to help him wake up. But he just lay there, non-responsive, surrounded by tubes and the other beeping appliances that passed for medical equipment in the world above her own. The hospital room wasn't exactly standard, looking more like an old-fashioned university office due to Artemis's status and the enormous amounts of money he had no doubt contributed to the facility. It was all very nice, really, but it didn't fool anyone for a second. The bed was still that narrow, barred hospital that was standard everywhere, and the machines at his bedside still ticked and whirred, measuring the life that flowed through his scrawny, pale body. And there was always the chance that one of those sensors would start a discordant sound that would signal the end of everything she held to be true in this world.
Holly stood on the visitor's chair, necessary for her to get the height to properly view him, and felt the blame settle on her shoulders. Superman's cape, the layer of guilt and shame, flowed around her. She should have been faster. She should have been smarted. She should have been that god damn hero that could fix everything by flying fast enough to turn the world round back again, to turn time back again. But all she could do was hold medical probabilities and wishes in her hands and pretend everything might be all right.
She thought back.
Artemis and her had been beaten, mercilessly and thoroughly, into the ground, over and over again, while the goblins around them echoed laughter round the thin underwater corridor. Holly felt every bruise ache, every broken bone protest, but she fought back none the less. Fought back until her blood coated the floor and her fingers were broken, possibly beyond repair. Because she could see Artemis five feet down the hall, and she couldn't bear to hear one more scream of pain come out of his broken body.
Staring, her hands shaking, at the wavy line on the heart monitor that meant love, that meant life, that meant the world was made for fighting chances.
Being dragged down the hall, feet trailing because they could no longer support her weight, for real this time. The goblins laughing and the few she had managed to mark, even in her current state, whining about their injuries. Turning to turn her head and catch sight of Artemis behind her, but he was always just out of her sight.
They had always joked about fate, that life kept on throwing these crazy situations that seemed like cosmic jokes once they were on the other end of them Never once considering that someday, one of them wouldn't make it back to joke about it.
Holly, on her hands and knees in front of Opal's throne, thinking for just that one second, does she seriously have a throne? Even broken, even defeated, glaring at Opal like she might kill her with her eyes alone. Too bad Foaly wasn't here because he probably would be able to figure out a way to do just that. Not letting her eyes slide over to Artemis, lying a few feet away from her as the blood slowly ran from his body. It was like wild animals; don't show weakness. You back down, you die. So she stared and stared at Opal Koboi, and thought about all the ways she was going to suffer later for this.
Was there anything she could have done? Really? Maybe if he had given her some warning, some small sign… She chuckled a little, just once, under her breath as she stepped onto Artemis's bed, sitting beside his prone head, eyes closed, skin way too pale, even for him. That was one thing Artemis was good at. Keeping secrets. Making plans. And above all, making her crazy. Saving her life. Saving them all.
Opal made that inevitable move, speech done now, reaching for the weapon at her hip which would end their lives once and for all. And she couldn't think of one way, not one single way that this was going to end without them both dead. That no-win situation had come upon them at last. So she simply threw her head back, giving Opal nothing but contempt. Holly would not beg for her life. She was a warrior. She did not beg for her life at the hands of her enemy. But, she thought, as she let the tears swim in her eyes and the expression of fake defeat fill her features, she would beg for Artemis's. She owed him that and more.
Slowly, she ran her hand gently through him ebony hair. Not short anymore, not greasy anymore. Just soft, silky and full, sweeping down over his sunken cheekbones. Carefully, tenderly, she moved the stray strands so they weren't draped over his face, tucking them behind his ears. Artemis would have hated to look anything other than presentable, even in this state. Holly stiffened, hand trembling above his face. No. Not would have. Does.Will. There is always a chance, always that one shot to the moon. She mustn't give up hope, mustn't ever give up on him. Because, when it came down to it, when had he ever given up on her?
Opal simply smiled, as Holly had known she would, and drew the weapon to bear, straight at Holly's head. Pausing for a second, Opal seemed to have a thought, then laughed and changed her aim. Let's see where this laser burst will hurt more, Opal had said. And Holly had screamed.
When the hell had he developed a god damn hero complex?
Holly had pleaded, begged, demanded. Let me take his place. And if not, then let me go first. She could bequeath those precious few more seconds of life to him.
When did she become so attached? When exactly had he stopped becoming that Mud Boy and had instead turned into Artemis? She couldn't remember. It had been so long ago.
Opal moved like lightning, swiveling back to Holly while her finger tightened on the trigger, her original target all along. Holly had kept her eyes open, staring down death in the face, feeling it's cold fingers trailing down her neck.
Why Artemis?
Smoothly, he had leapt. Like a panther. Like some sort of blessed guardian, send from above by an unknown deity. Plowing into her, taking her out of the focus of the laser blast, Artemis simultaneously threw the dagger he had stolen from a goblin guard while the crap was being kicked out of him. And miracles upon miracles, it planted right in Opal's eye, killing her instantly.
You never told me you could do that, Artemis. Maybe I've underestimated you, again. Or maybe it was just sheer dumb luck, the duos ex machine that wiped the stage clean. Pushing the reset button on Opal's presence in this farce, this tragedy.
The curtain fell on the light in Opal's eye, and she dropped. Artemis, draped over Holly, lay without moving, ominously still. And then, only when Holly's head was swimming with blood loss because she was neglecting her own wounds to staunch the blood flowing sluggishly from Artemis's side, once she had cried until she thought she would cry no more, did the cavalry arrive.
Why?
The fairy doctor, face drawn with sorrow, approaching her as she sat up in her hospital. Ma'am, I'm sorry to inform you that your friend is in a deep coma. Even with magic, there is a likelihood that he may never come out of it. I'm sorry. Take him back to the human world and let them hook up to the proper machinery.
It still didn't feel real. Even now, staring at his prone form lying in the hospital bed, machines beeping in the background, it didn't feel real.
Angeline had cried profusely, holding onto her husband as his own tears fell. Juliet had refused to believe it, saying he would be coming out of it any day now, saying it over and over. Myles and Beckett had stood solemnly before their parents, hands linked, and asked if their brother was dead, if he was never waking up. Butler had not left the hospital in the two weeks Artemis had been there. He had gone beyond grief. He was near catatonic, and they'd had to sedate him to for a while. They thought he might kill himself. Holly knew better. Butler was going to stay, waiting for his master to wake, because like her, he knew better than to ever give up on Artemis Fowl the Second.
"Damn it," Holly whispered hoarsely, tears falling from her hazel and blue eyes, the last thing her friend had ever given her. It was a piece of him. And he had a piece of her. It felt like, if Artemis were to never wake up, part of her would never wake up as well. She would go through the motions, do her job, be the best cop she could be. But something…. something intangible, something she couldn't ever define or describe, would be lost forever. Just like her friend.
"You listen here, Artemis," she began fiercely fire burning through the tears swimming in her eyes. A she glared at his prone body with all the ferocity that she had stared down death with. "I am not going to sit here and talk to you like you're already dead. This is not your god damn funeral monologue! This is me, giving an order to you. Wake up! YOU MUST WAKE UP OR I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ACTIONS!" Furious with his, with life, she leaned forward and kissed him, passion fueling her as the tears finally spilled from her eyes. Leaning back, she shouted, furious, "This is your freaking wake up call, sleeping beauty! I! SAID! WAKE! UP!"
Panting, spent, she simply collapsed into his chest, breathing in the clean smell of his skin, clutching his as she cried. "You told me you loved me," she said in a choked whisper, sobs wracking her body. "I guess you didn't mean it."
She stayed there for hours, curled up next to him, unwilling to leave. But finally, night fell, and she knew her time was almost up. She had to be back in Central by noon tomorrow, or else the Council would have her ass on a silver platter. Sniffling, finally spent, she uncurled her stiff body slowly, moving to unlatch the window. With one last finger trailing through his hair, Holly promised she would come back later, and prepared to launch herself into the night.
Without warning, all the monitors started beeping at once.
Holly's heart seemed to stop. This was it, she thought as the doctor's raced into the room. This is where everything changes. This is where the world ends. My world ends.
And he opened his eyes.
Even through the press of doctors swarming around his bed, Holly saw Artemis's eyes flick to the open window. A flash of understanding darted in his eyes, and he seemed to look directly at her as he smiled.
It was ten minutes before the doctors left to call Artemis's parents and wake Butler on the floor below, ten minutes before Holly could unshield and throw herself at Artemis and kiss him senseless.
The world started turning again.
They loved each other. They both knew it now, that they were tied together in a way they could not escape, not now, not ever. Love. They could say the words later. Right now, there was just this, now, in this moment. Because she could hold him, alive, in her arms, and that meant more to her than any words could ever express.