A Crowd

Title: A Crowd
Author: Ever1
Fandom: Artemis Fowl, Alex Rider
Genre: Angst/Romance
Length: Two Parter. 1rst part is about 4000 words.
Rating: M-15
Pairing: Alex/James, James/Artemis, Artemis/James/Alex, eventual Artemis/Alex.
Warnings: I think everything you need to know is in the pairing section. OT3s, so if you're not into that go away. Slash, also, obviously. Go away if you don't like that as well.

A/N: Firstly, let me just explain the conditions of writing. It is…7:32 AM. I have not slept. And by that I mean, have not. At all. So please excuse this if it is very bizarre. I have been listening to How to Save a Life, The Fray on a loop since 11 PM yesterday, and have just downed a mug of coffee that is not really doing what it is supposed to. A large majority of this was written from 4 am to now, with long pauses of playing Road Trippin' on my guitar very quietly so as not to wake parental wrath. It's all fascinating stuff, I know, and the only reason I'm telling you in such vast detail is to excuse the potentially shoddy writing, or either because my brain is fried and I do not realize how strange it is to be writing all this.

A/N 2: Possible OOCness? To begin with, I have been away from this fandom for a long, long time. Secondly – I have also been away from the books for a long, long time. Thirdly, they are meant to be older – about 16 – in this fic, and Artemis, whilst apparently he is not "mean" enough, is not as irrational as he once was. He thinks before he speaks, and he doesn't insult needlessly, and he's businesslike. He's got this new thing called politeness but executes is coldly. Am I making sense? What I'm trying to say is he's rational in this – not inhuman.

A/N 3: I am so maniacally in love with this pairing. So Trunkzy, my darling, you get all the credit & love for writing the first James/Alex, and for insinuating an Alex/James/Artemis…which is just hot beyond measure.

Other Warnings: It's very, very odd. Very, very odd. And written from Artemis' perspective, which is usually a bad idea, but I enjoyed writing it from his point of view during this.

"Three's a crowd."

Part One
Three Things

James Sprintz raised his eyes.

Alex was sprawled on the bed, comic book in hand, an extremely concentrated look on his face. Eyebrows raised, James quietly moved to sit beside him, peering over his shoulder. What he saw made him bite his lip.

Alex was reading anime. The big breasted, topless, provocative type anime. And he was frowning at it in a confused, frustrated way, as if he was desperately trying to understand it and could not. Unable to stop himself, James started to laugh. The sound brought Alex's head up, almost defiantly.

"I don't see what's so funny," he said in an irritated tone. James gave him a careless smile.

"No," he agreed. "You wouldn't."

---

The friendship between James Sprintz and Alex Rider had been a long while in developing. James was one of the only people that knew everything there was to know about Alex, just as James was one of the only people Alex truly relied on. Alex mocked James' irresponsible attitude whilst the other reciprocated, picking apart the serious looking blonde to reveal the dry wit he knew lay underneath.

---

Artemis and Alex looked across at each other, thoughtfully. It was a comfortable kind of examination, since they both acknowledged the curiosity they had about the other. When Alex's eyes finally pulled away, Artemis inched forward in the plush black seat, hands gripping the edge.

"Butler, will we be there soon?"

Butler frowned slowly in the review mirror. Artemis never asked mundane questions.

"Of course, Artemis. The airport is not that far away from Fowl Mansion, as you know."

Artemis gave a curt nod, ignoring Alex's gaze on him.

"Of course," he murmured, and set a finger over his lips, pensively.

---

Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider were entirely different…probably because they were first acquainted as business partners, and not friends. It soon became clear they were not likely to become the latter any time soon, either.

---

The second time, they went to Alex's.

"Can't be too careful," Alex said lightly, and Artemis nodded.

The car was shabbier.

The house was shabbier.

But there were certain advantages, it seemed, to abandoning luxury in exchange for Alex Rider's hospitality.

A pale skinned, brown haired boy was sitting on the doorstep, waiting for them.

"James," Alex said, with quiet surprise. The respect in the other boy's voice surprised Artemis. James seemed so diminished in comparison to Alex, but then his head came up, and his eyes met Artemis'. Artemis put a hand behind his back, palm outstretched, concentrating to keep his features from becoming paler.

"Alex. Alex. Alex." It was a kind of mantra. Even Artemis could tell James was on the verge of losing control.

"Alex." As he spoke, he lifted something to his mouth; a cigarette. The tiny, reddish glow kindled as he breathed in, eyes flickering closed as he inhaled the smoke.

"I ran away."

Artemis backed away slightly.

"It appears I'm interrupting something," he began, in the coolest, most level tone he could manage, but Alex merely turned to look at him with that perfectly controlled calm and Artemis stopped. James closed his ember eyes again, and breathed in. So it was surprising when it was he who raised the objection.

"No. Whatever you came here to do – you do it. I shouldn't even be here. I'll go for a walk – or go somewhere else – just not, not back home –"

"Absolutely not," Artemis protested, coldly, unsure of why exactly he was saying it. "I can see you will be a distraction whether or not you stay with us."

"You get inside," Alex half-hissed, poking James with his foot. "And put that cigarette out. The smoke is disgusting."

James smiled, and Artemis looked between him in Alex, wondering what on earth had just transpired.

---

James Sprintz was somehow the thing tying them all together. That day – that first meeting day between the three, something had passed between them. Artemis had felt it. It frightened and fascinated him both at once. There were downfalls, however. Artemis had come to discover he strongly disliked Alex's company unless he was somehow making money from it, and though inclined to refuse to meet with him in a social capacity, Alex meant James, and James intrigued him. As for Alex, he did not much like Artemis either – rather, James had expressed a disturbing fascination with the other boy, and Alex had dutifully agreed to extend the olive branch. However, he was extremely dismayed when Artemis surprised them all and took it.

---

In a surprisingly short amount of time, the ground rules of their dynamic were established. The most important and evident one was, first and foremost, that Alex and Artemis did not get on, and never would. It made for an interesting and awkward atmosphere when the three were together, and the third time Artemis found himself at Alex's, James lost it.

"I think I'll start a fight just for the hell of it," he growled, glaring between the two. "Won't you too bloody stop? Everything's bad enough for me right now without…"

He'd said the magic words. Alex unfolded his arms and sat down on the bed beside James, leaving Artemis standing in the middle of the room alone, and angry retort dying on his lips. He did not like being the only one on his feet. Carefully, but even more careful not to show that fact, Artemis came to sit on the opposite side of James. The boy turned to look at him.

It was an intense look. So intense that Artemis could feel the air bristling with Alex's increasing hostility. Slowly, reluctantly, he looked away, and stared out the window, unmoving, listening to Alex and James speak quietly. It started to rain.

Artemis felt confused. There was something about James…something about Alex and James…If it had been manipulation, Artemis would have understood it, but it wasn't. When James said everything's bad enough for me right now without…he had meant it. Every word. He did not underplay his sadness, and nor did he overplay it. It was perfect – just right. It bewildered him.

Glancing now at Alex, Artemis was sure the other boy was someone who underplayed his own dramatics. The quiet certitude of the boy's brown eyes told him that much, and though he disliked Alex, he nonetheless respected him. Artemis supposed, a little wanly, that he was that way himself, though he hated classifying himself so simply.

It came as a shock to realize Alex was looking back at him.

James was simply sitting in the middle, glancing between them both and looking fiercely alive.

---

Artemis occasionally wondered what had dispelled James' seemingly endless apathy, but could never come up with a decent conclusion. Instead, he did something he rarely approved of – he stopped worrying about it, and enjoyed the result. Liveliness suited James a lot better than indifference. His features seemed to have been made for exuberance; the flush of his cheeks contrasted sharply with his paleness and the brown embers that were his eyes sparked more viciously than ever.

Sometimes, Artemis wondered what he was still doing; accepting Alex's stilted invitations when they did not even get along, but even more pertinent, their business had long since been concluded.

It was like a trio of bored, estranged adolescents who had nothing in common with each other and yet met as often as possible in a fervent attempt to dispel their loneliness. Artemis supposed that was what it was, though he had never thought of himself as lonely before. It was clear to him why Alex might be lonely. But James? He had no idea. Perhaps it was this that pushed him to go each time Alex asked.

However, there came a point where Artemis could not deny any longer that he came solely to see James, not to pick apart his motives.

Came to watch him smoke and talk with Alex in that secretive, drawled undertone. Came to exchange those fierce, inevitable, magnetic looks of curiosity that passed all too often between them, came to hear Alex's low growl of frustration whenever they did.

"I feel like the rain will never stop."

Artemis scoffed at the mournfulness in Alex's voice. It did not suit him – he could not pull it off.

"Of course it will stop raining," he said loftily. "This is Dublin, what did you expect?"

Alex and James' initial reaction to Fowl Manor had been a source of extreme amusement to Artemis. Alex had mimicked James' excited wonder, and for the merest second, the raven-haired boy had glimpsed what James saw in him.

Even better; for the first time since this entire wretched thing had begun, Artemis had felt the balance of power shift, and he had jumped upon it.

"So, Rider. It is curious that we have never properly spoken yet have so many things to discuss, don't you think?"

Alex looked at him. That steady brown gaze was unnerving. "Like what?" There was only the slightest edge of aggressiveness in his tone, and Artemis decided to ignore it.

"I know about you," Artemis said.

"How dramatic," James drawled. Artemis turned his head ever so slightly to blink at that glowing, amber gaze. It was a miracle the three could even bear to be in each other's presence, as far as Artemis could see. James was sardonic, Alex was dry, and Artemis was cold. Fine distinctions, but fine enough to put his teeth on edge if it hadn't been for the people he was with.

"You mean, you know about MI6, not about me," Alex rejoined challengingly, looking between him and James for the hundredth time. "Don't confuse the two."

"I think you'll find I rarely get confused, Rider."

"Call me Alex," the other boy said sharply, ignoring the last comment.

"We've only been hanging out for couple of months or so now, after all."

Artemis graced James with a small, precise kind of smile, whilst Alex merely gave him an all encompassing look. It grated somehow.

"And what about you, James?"

"What about me?" James turned on the bed to look at him. "Nah, I'm a bore."

"Minus the running away part," Alex muttered, and James shot him a look. Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"It's your business, of course," he said coolly. "But as you put it, we have been "hanging out" for the past couple of months."

"In silence, on your part, Artemis." James gave him a quick smile. "You don't engage people in small talk very often do you?"

"I have absolutely no interest in small talk," Artemis answered with distaste. "It reflects the very banality of mankind's nature."

Alex gave him a Look, and Artemis was at once irritated and rather…flattered was not the right term, perhaps, but it was the closest he could get. So far, Alex had only given those looks to James, in the manner of old friends who by now understood each other very well. Artemis was surprised, and a little gratified to see it directed at him.

"You're right," he said, and Alex looked back at him again.

"About what?" he answered warily.

"You two are agreeing?" James put in dryly. "I must be out of my mind."

"Keep going on like that and you will be," Alex warned good-naturedly. There was nothing jovial in his gaze when he fixed it on Artemis again, however. His eyes demanded an answer.

"I know about MI6. I don't know you."

"No," Alex agreed, turning his back on him. "You don't."

It took every ounce of self control not to hit him, but Artemis had never hit anybody in his entire life, and he was not about to start now.

---

The forth time they met up was at Alex's again. Jack Starbright, who Artemis had learnt to regard with a mixture of wary courtesy and apprehension, was out, which at once made the atmosphere more relaxed and more tense.

"I love school holidays," James said dreamily, this time leaning against the foot of the bed, his head tilted back onto the covers. Alex was sprawled beside him; Artemis was once again sitting rigidly on the bed, elbows on his knees.

"I don't," Alex answered, but without malice. "Too much free time."

"No such thing!" James protested. His eyes traveled past Alex's nonchalant interest to Artemis' face. "What about you, Artemis?"

"Me?" Artemis was a little surprised. He'd gotten used to the dynamic of listening to their conversation every time they were together. "School holidays mean a lot more time with family," he sad after a moment, not sure if this was a good or a bad thing, but James made a face.

"I know what you mean," he said, and Artemis nodded carefully.

Alex looked around, the bored expression still on his face. Oddly, he still looked as alert as ever at the same time.

"Cards?"

"I don't know any three player games," James complained, but he shifted and patted the floor space beside him, inviting Artemis to sit. Alex and James watched him as he sat awkwardly, cross legged, on the ragged carpet.

"Nor do I," he said.

Alex shook his head. "We could always play Cheat."

Oddly, the suggestion made James burst out laughing. Both Alex and Artemis raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him.

"What's so funny?" Alex asked curiously.

"I'm going to lose. I'm going to lose horribly. The two of you never express any kind of emotion. I'm going to lose."

Alex thumped him playfully on the head, but Artemis was not offended. It was true, after all, that he had tried to school himself to keep his emotions off his face. However, he was not so sure that James would lose. Somehow, the boy seemed like the biggest mystery in the room.

Alex dealt in that swift, efficient way he had that Artemis was coming to respect. Each of them picked up their cards and sorted them by suit.

"Me first," James said quickly, and Artemis inclined his head as he lay down three cards. "Queens."

"Cheat," accused Alex.

Grumbling, James picked the three cards back up. "Come on, we only just started the game, you could've let that one go."

"Where's the fun in that?" Alex answered innocently. "Four Kings." It went unchallenged.

"Two Aces."

Both Alex and James peered at his face intently. Artemis raised an eyebrow. "If I was going to cheat, I'd be a little more audacious about it, thank you."

"If you say so," Alex muttered. "James?"

"Two twos."

"Cheat," Artemis and Alex said at the same time. Grimacing, James picked up the cards.

"There's no point to this," he said, mock-bitterly. "You guys play on your own. I'll watch."

Artemis and Alex stared at each other across the pile of cards.

"Actually, I should probably be going," Artemis said quickly, getting up and throwing his cards down. Alex got up at the same time.

"I'll walk you out."

"That isn't necessary."

"No. I'll walk you out."

"Bye, Artemis," James called from where he was sprawled, inspecting the cards. Artemis raised a hand.

At the door, Alex paused and gave him that excruciating, familiar level look of his again.

"Goodbye," he said. "We've still got another two weeks of holidays, so I'll probably see you again soon."

He turned to go, but Artemis caught his arm.

"Why do you keep inviting me? You clearly don't enjoy my presence."

"Very few people would, I think, Artemis." It wasn't even an insult, just a carefully stated conclusion he had come to. "But James does."

It was those three words that kept him from making an excuse when he picked up the phone to Alex's formal voice, only a few days later.

---

"Why on earth do you like Artemis so much?"

James gave him a smile. "You don't see it, do you?" He shook his head. "There's something about him…he just comes off badly, can't you understand that?"

"Of course I can. I'm friends with you, remember?"

"More than that," James answered, and threaded a hand through the blonde's hair.

---

The next time was again at Fowl Manor. Artemis was far more comfortable there – it was home territory, after all. They were all sitting on the grass in the beautiful, extensive gardens of Artemis' home. Though he knew every minute detail there was to know about Fowl Manor, he had never sat on the grass outside before and was finding it surprisingly relaxing. However, the meeting was one of the strangest ones he'd ever had.

"MI6 was never boring."

"I wouldn't think so!" James said. "You're both so…interesting." He smiled wryly. "I'm not used to feeling boring."

"You're not boring," Alex answered, a little absently. "I'm quiet and Mr. Fowl never seems to talk at all, so…"

"I talk occasionally," Artemis defended. "But I don't open my mouth when I have nothing to say."

"Meaning that I do?"

James started laughing. They both turned to look at him.

"You're both hilarious, is what you are," James said, unabashedly. "Alex, stop seeing insults everywhere. Artemis…we don't care if you're got nothing to say. Say it anyway."

"You make a good mediator," Artemis told him coldly, and James only threw back his head and laughed again.

"You're both making me feel sick," Alex pointed out conversationally. "I need to walk. Alone," he added as James made to rise. The boy pouted, and then smirked a little. Artemis stared at him in poorly disguised fascination.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. James seemed perfectly comfortable with this arrangement, and though Artemis was in principal, in theory it made him feel a little nervous.

"What school do you go to?"

James cast him a surprised look. "I though you didn't like small talk."

"I don't. What school do you go to?"

James tilted his head, considering. "St. John's. Very fancy. I think my father had to bribe them to get me in, though. My results aren't all that good, and I have a history as a trouble maker."

Artemis could believe that, looking at the impudent smile the other boy wore.

"You don't like Alex," James said suddenly, and it was not a question.

Artemis shrugged. "It's not that I don't like him," he lied. "I simply don't know him. As he puts it."

"Hmmm. You don't know me either, you know."

Artemis considered, finally giving a small nod. "I suppose not."

"You don't like him," James pressed, with a smile. When Artemis didn't answer, he changed tack. "Would you like to get to know me?"

"It never ceases to amaze me," Artemis answered, avoiding the question, "That three people can spend the amount of time that we have in each other's company and still not know each other at all."

"Would you like to get to know me?"

Artemis gave James his blandest look ever. "What do you hear by that?"

A thoughtful expression on his face, the boy reached in his pocket. Artemis watched him fish around with considerable apprehension, only feeling slightly relieved when James pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"I don't smoke," he said, coldly.

It seemed to have no effect on James. The boy moved closer to him and pressed a cigarette to his lips. Oddly, Artemis found himself letting him. He felt ridiculous with the thing in his mouth, and clearly looked it from the way James was smiling. But he let him, nonetheless. The boy brought out his lighter, held it up to the end and flicked it a couple of times.

Artemis stared, cross eyed, as the cigarette end turned bright orange.

"Breathe in," James ordered, lowering the lighter.

After initial hesitation, Artemis did so. Surprisingly, he did not start coughing, but pulled the smoke in slowly though his mouth into his lungs. It was the oddest feeling, not only because he had never smoked in his life, but because Artemis could catalogue all the damage he was doing in that single breath, and yet he was doing it anyway.

This was when the first strange thing happened.

"Not bad, is it?"

Artemis reached up so that he could answer the boy, but James was quicker. Nimble fingers replaced the cigarette with his own lips. Dizzily, Artemis found himself responding, moving a hand up to touch James' cheek. The boy also moved, raising his hand to hold Artemis' there. His other hand flicked sparks from the cigarette he had taken from Artemis into the grass.

It was at that moment that Artemis realized Alex was standing only a few feet away, watching them. He made to pull away, but James firm grip held him there till the kiss was finished.

"It's getting late," Alex commented neutrally as they parted, expression utterly unruffled. "James, we should probably be going."

Artemis got to his feet the same time James did, ignoring the way James smirked every time he lifted the cigarette to his lips, now. He inhaled, deeply. His eyes sparkled shut again, and Artemis looked at Alex instead.

"I'll walk you out," he said, and Alex's steady gaze flickered for one moment before he nodded.

As they walked through the gardens back to the entrance hall to collect coats, the second strangest thing happened; Alex and James held hands. It wasn't that surprising, as far as Artemis was concerned, but the part that astonished him was the evident ostentation of the gesture. He had caught looks before, hints, but this was evidently a very clear message they were trying to communicate. Artemis kept trying to cast an inquisitive look at James, but the brown-haired boy could not take his eyes off the blonde.

The third, and perhaps strangest thing, happened at the door.

As James slipped on his brown coat, Alex, already wearing his black one, took a step towards him. Artemis backed away, instinctively, but the other boy kept moving forward doggedly until Artemis was pressed up against a wall and staring at Alex in confusion.

"What are you doing?" He glanced over the blonde's shoulder at James, who was standing, leaned against the wall, watching them with a wistful kind of expression on his face.

Alex did not look happy as he responded, taking another step until they were flush against each other.

"Whatever it takes to keep James happy."

A/N: I have a suspicion I am going to get flamed most viciously very soon…