Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/144664.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Artemis_Fowl_-_Eoin_Colfer
  Relationship:
      Domovoi_Butler/Artemis_Fowl_II
  Character:
      Domovoi_Butler, Artemis_Fowl_II
  Additional Tags:
      Age_Difference, Emotional_Manipulation, Mutual_Masturbation, Authority
      Figures, Age_Play
  Collections:
      Yuletide_2010
  Stats:
      Published: 2010-12-26 Words: 3138
****** Achieving More With Focus ******
by Sophie
Summary
     Artemis knows what he wants. He also knows that taking it will make
     Butler stop asking questions about what he's plotting, at least for
     now.
Notes
     I am an incredibly last minute pinch-hitter who jumped on the excuse
     to write Butler/Artemis fiction. This was started as soon as the
     pinch hit was sent: at 2AM on the 26th. Be thankful to my beta. I'm
     not sure how readable that was before she went through it!
     This fic is not officially set at any particular moment, so you can
     sort of decide just how young Artemis is.
     Thanks to Tali for the beta.
Just because Butler doesn't talk as much as he listens doesn't mean that he's
not bright. Particularly, he's very intelligent when it comes to strategy, and
he's very intelligent when it comes to Artemis. He would have to be; that is
what he was raised for: to be by Artemis' side all through his life.
It's only natural that he can tell when his principal and friend is worried and
preoccupied. Something is wrong in Artemis' life, and that is rarely a good
sign.
The problem is —the main problem is— that Butler knows it's about him. He can
tell by the way Artemis has changed his behaviour with him. No one would ever
be able to tell that there had been any change at all, but Butler has been by
Artemis' side from the very first days after his birth. He can tell.
He doesn't show it. If Artemis has decided to change his mind about him now
that he's— He needs a word, a word that is not "old" or "crippled" or
"useless," even if he feels all three of these— If Artemis is finally going to
make a decision, Butler wants it to be impartial and doesn't want to influence
it in any way. Artemis (mostly) always knows best, and he will solve any
problem he needs to. And if Artemis needs his help, he will ask, and it is not
Butler's place to interject.
They're friends, he knows as much, but they're only friends because Butler
broke rules. One should not be friends with their principal the way he is. If
they were simply friends, he would maybe raise his concerns. Or maybe not.
Butler doesn't need to know everything going on in Artemis' head; he trusts
him. They trust each other.
Weeks later, the feeling in the back of Butler's head hasn't vanished at all.
To make everything more unsettling, Artemis is being... calm. Not calm as the
vast majority of the planet would define the word, but calm for Artemis. He's
not plotting or doesn't seem to be. And since the possibility of Artemis not
plotting anything for so long is tiny, the conclusion is that he's been
planning something without sharing it with Butler. It shouldn't hurt as much as
it does; it's part of the consequences of getting to close to Artemis, of
getting too attached, and he has to deal with it now. He doesn't like to be
reminded that his decisions about Artemis do have negative consequences.
Butler finds him in the library, deep in thought. He's recently spent too much
of his time thinking about Artemis' behaviour and it has become a distraction,
and every source of distraction is a liability. He's professional enough that
it doesn't show in his technique, but what if it did at the worst possible
moment? What ifs are the scariest things out there. They hurt whether they're
about the past, the present or the future. What if Artemis has finally realised
that he is a lot less efficient and useful than he used to be? What if things
had gone differently and he hadn't died at all?
He sits next to Artemis, leaning back comfortably in the armchair. Artemis
doesn't let this disturb him, not because he's ignoring Butler, but because
they're never bothered by one another's presence.
"Artemis?"
The teenager blinks slowly a few times. "Hmm."
"Are we friends." It doesn't come out as a question, but rather as a calm
statement.
Artemis looks confused for less than a second —he hates looking confused and
wipes the expression away fast— before putting on a poker face. Butler can tell
it's fake. "Of course. Why would you have to ask?"
"I know your definition of friendship is not the same as anyone else's, but
when something bothers you, telling a friend—"
"No." The tone is decisive. The conversation ends here.
They're silent for a very long minute before Butler decides that a conversation
only ends when both people participating in it decide it does. Artemis can tell
he's about to speak up again and does so first.
"It's fine. It's nothing that concerns you."
Butler smiles at how ridiculous the statement sounds to his ears. "Of course,
it concerns me. It is about me, isn't it?"
"These two are not the same. It would only concern you if you could change
anything about it."
The sting of hurt is back, but Butler was ready for it. "So it is about my
condition, then."
"Yes. If you must know."
"I've told you before..." He stops and sighs, a bit frustrated. Not at Artemis,
though. At himself. At life. At least he's alive.
"What have you told me?"
"If you feel I'm too old --"
"You're not old."
"Artemis."
"You're not old." He stands up. "Now, stop this." Artemis doesn't move away, so
maybe the conversation isn't as over as it would seem. Butler waits, but
nothing comes.
"I've accepted it. I have faith in our abilities to remain friends even if you
relieve me—"
"Don't lie. I see you every day, I know you, and you haven't accepted it. Your
'condition' is eating you alive, and I will not let you hate yourself for
something that was entirely my fault. Not to mention you are still the best
bodyguard there is, and firing you would be completely counterproductive."
Butler understands, then, he realizes why Artemis hasn't been talking about
what he might be plotting, and it's not something he likes. He frowns, and he
can tell from Artemis' eyes that he's right. Whatever Artemis is doing that
might give him his previous age back, it's not something safe, and it's
probably not sound either.
He tries to figure out how to tell Artemis to let it go and stop whatever he's
been doing in a way that might make the teenager consider Butler's demand. He's
still going through possibilities in his head when Artemis walks up to him and
stands in front of the armchair. He looks like he always does, proud and
confident, but to Butler, the only thing obvious about him right now is the
sadness and guilt he's hiding.
And then Artemis is leaning forward, palms flat on the armrests, and his mouth
is over Butler's. His usual overconfident look is there, more than ever, when
he leans back. His hands still hold onto the armrests.
"I'm sorry." He sounds nearly angry, and Butler waits again because he's
lacking enough information to make a decision about anything. This is clearly
not anything he would have planned, and he should be ready for any
eventualities. "Not about the kiss," Artemis adds. He doesn't say that it's
about Butler's aging because he doesn't need to. He hadn't needed to apologise,
either, since none of it was his fault. He should know that.
"You're not old, but you still think you are. That's why I need to do
something."
Artemis leans in, no doubt to kiss Butler again, so he puts his hand on
Artemis's chest and, without pushing back, stops his movement. Artemis looks
unimpressed by the gesture. Butler doesn't remove his hand, though, because
Artemis is too young to know what he's doing (even if that is a lie; Artemis
has always known what he's wanted), because there is a question of authority
between them (even if Butler is the one working for and under Artemis and not
the opposite), and most of all, because it would denigrate everything he
learned at Madam Ko's Academy to let this happen. He needs to start caring
about that again very soon.
"Why?" It seems like an important question to ask.
Artemis understands what the question is, of course, and decides to answer it
instead of being irritating and answering another question Butler could have
asked. "Because it would be a very efficient way to show you that I do not
think of you as being old," he says bluntly. "And, considering the current
situation, it was the best opportunity I've had to do this with a chance of you
reciprocating since I've started thinking about it."
His smile hides a challenge, and it makes him look five years older. For all of
three seconds. Butler moves his hand away and Artemis takes his cue to press
his lips against his again, and again, aggressive and needy in a way Butler has
never seen him. It's altogether too easy to circle his waist and pull him and
lift him up just enough that he can straddle Butler's thighs on the chair.
Artemis knows how to kiss, and Butler has to force himself to enjoy it instead
of thinking about when and where had he learned that specific skill. Only two
answers can come from this question after all: either Artemis has learned it
from someone else without Butler's knowledge and he'll feel like he has to hunt
them down, or he hasn't and kissing comes naturally to him (or at least it does
with Butler), and Butler is reminded that Artemis is too young for this.
The kisses stop. "Stop thinking."
Butler laughs. "Do you ever stop thinking?"
"Make me." The line is cliché and doesn't come as fluidly as usual from
Artemis' lips. He's hesitant.
"Artemis, if you—"
"Oh, for God's sake. I'm not hesitant because I'm not sure I want this. I'm
hesitant because I don't want to coerce you into anything because of our
already existing relationship." A pause. "Much."
"It would be very hard to coerce me."
Artemis looks as if he thought this was a load of bullshit. He's right. "So
will you start kissing me back, then?"
Butler does. He puts his hands on Artemis' waist under his shirt, and holds
onto him as he initiates the next kiss and twenty of them after that. He tries
to listen to Artemis' previous order as well and does his very best to stop
thinking. He's perfectly happy with simply kissing his young friend too because
he knows him, they know each other, and this is... important. This is real.
It's not just a game and they will not act like nothing happened after they
leave the library. This will change everything without changing anything at
all. Butler has been breaking half the rules with Artemis already; one more
doesn't mean anything to his job.
"Neither of us is especially good at halting our brains."
Butler can only agree. He looks at Artemis in front of him, slightly flushed,
his lips showing every sign of being well-kissed. He sees the way Artemis'
chest rises up and down more quickly than usual and everywhere he touches his
skin he can tell his heartbeat is faster than normal. He lifts his hand to
Artemis's cheek and rests it there, caressing his way down to Artemis' neck and
back up. Like this, he looks every bit like his age. Butler shouldn't be
finding this attractive, but he does. It makes his own heart beat faster and
his breathing harder.
"You're beautiful."
Artemis chuckles once in a mocking laugh. "It's very nice that you think so
because I would wonder why you're not pushing me away if you didn't."
He's smiling. Butler loves that he's the one that made him look like that, that
is making him smile. He can feel Artemis' hard on pressing against his stomach
because of their position, and he loves that he's made that happen, too. Not
that he will try to do anything because Artemis might not be comfortable—
Artemis' smile becomes predatory. He moves away just enough that he's not
pressing against Butler anymore (that Butler can't feel him anymore), and he
catches Butler's hand to lower it over his crotch.
"Now stop restraining yourself."
Artemis wraps his hands around Butler's shoulders, and Butler does not tell him
that he can change his mind at any time because Artemis has been very vocal and
very obvious about what he wants as opposed to Butler himself.
And Butler wants this. So why make everything more complicated?
He kisses the corner of Artemis's mouth and down his jaw to his neck and
collarbone as far as he can reach with Artemis still wearing a dress shirt.
Still because this will happen with a lot less clothes in the future, maybe not
right now or today, but it will. Butler only starts moving his hand and rubbing
through Artemis's pants after he's back to kissing his mouth.
"It's all right." Artemis bites Butler's lip instead of hitting him for saying
that or stopping everything again to sigh and be annoyed. They've had enough
interruptions.
Artemis' breathing speeds up quickly and he's soon pushing against Butler's
hand. His kisses become less and less precise, and the hold behind Butler's
neck tightens.
"God. Touch me." This is incredibly vague and non-specific for Artemis. It's
all Butler needs to start fiddling to open Artemis' pants. He can kill someone
thirty different ways using only one finger, but undoing a button is currently
a challenge.
He lets out a groan that sounds nothing like himself. And another when Artemis
breathes out a demanding "yes" and shivers in Butler's arms —because of Butler.
It's a reaction Artemis can't control at all, and he must be very much hating
his body for failing to obey him right now.
It's easy to lift Artemis with one hand, just enough that Butler can push his
pants down around his thighs, enough to expose him. Enough that he can see
Artemis's erection and feel Artemis needing him a dozen different ways and wrap
his hand around him and stop himself from thinking because of how he nearly
can't see Artemis' cock at all anymore under this hand.
No kissing at all is happening now. Artemis buries his head in the crook of
Butler's neck trying to do it in a way that it's not entirely a stereotypically
submissive gesture because Artemis hates those.
He thrusts into Butler's fist a few times until he realises that matching
Butler's rhythm is not as easy as he thought it would be. So he stops trying
and instead commands, "Faster."
Butler doesn't. He's apparently in an exceedingly good mood (now why would that
be?) because he slows down instead and wraps his hand a bit harder. The
movement is meticulous now, and he rubs his thumb over the head. There is
barely any precum to spread and to help him in his task, but lubricating his
thumb with saliva would require him to let go of Artemis, and that is the last
thing he wants at the moment.
"You're so—" Artemis moans, clearly annoyed. "You are not going to be the only
one— having fun."
He removes his right arm from around Butler's shoulder to reach between them
and undo Butler's pants. There's no way to push the piece of clothing away
completely, so Artemis has to reach into his opened pants to pull out Butler's
erection, less cautiously than he should have but Butler enjoys every single
sign that he's making Artemis lose some of his control.
In fact, Artemis has lost enough of his control that he laughs nervously as he
starts stroking Butler once it's possible. "You must have scared women away."
That is not the kind of comment Butler was expecting from him, and he's glad
that he can still be surprised by Artemis.
"I am not interested in women, Artemis."
"Oh." Artemis looks lovely right there and then. Butler speeds up his hand
again and adds a twist to the stroke, just as he starts kissing Artemis again.
He's more involved in the kiss than in the handjob, opening Artemis's lips
under his and licking his lips, enjoying how enthusiastic Artemis is in return.
Artemis's kisses are not precise, his mind elsewhere.
It's quite an achievement that he can stroke Butler in the midst of everything
happening with his lack of experience. Artemis has always been about
achievement. It's a bit of a shame that Butler isn't letting himself simply
feel it all, but he wants to make this good for Artemis first and foremost.
His own cock twitches when he feels Artemis tense up in his arms and gasp in
his mouth.
"Domovoi." The way Artemis says his name makes him change his mind just enough
that he pulls him even closer to him, close enough that he can open his hand
and curl it around both of their erections, over Artemis' hand.
Artemis hisses and comes a stroke and a half later, making a mess of both of
them. It takes a little more work before Butler comes too, adding to the mess
and making Artemis smirk in victory.
Butler cleans them up as best as he can with the tissues he keeps in his
pockets and helps Artemis pull his pants half back on before simply relaxing
again and holding Artemis close.
"We still have to clean up more efficiently."
"Now?"
"Not necessary." Butler smiles. He's happy, and the feeling grows and grows
every time he glances at Artemis's face and can see that his young friend is
just as happy, too. Even though this will have negative consequences, it has
enough positive ones that Butler thinks it may be worth it.
"Since when do you have more control than I do?" Artemis asks.
Butler strokes Artemis' spine. "I have always had more control than you in a
number of fields. You have control over your mind; I have control over my
body." He doesn't add that Artemis is new to sexual pleasures and that it will
take time before he can have any sort of control over his body or mind in the
middle of any sexual encounter.
Artemis nods as if he had been expecting exactly that answer, and settles on
Butler's broad chest. He's thinking as usual, and Butler hopes it's about what
has just happened between them and not about how to put his life in danger to
try and give Butler fifteen years of his life back.
Butler kisses his temple. "I've always loved you."
"I know," Artemis answers as if Butler had just stated the most obvious thing.
Maybe he has. He likes knowing that his sentiments have always been clear to
Artemis, at least.
He wants to talk about how it's because he's always loved Artemis that he can
live with being too old to be the third best martial artist on the planet like
he used to be, that it's because of this love that he doesn't want Artemis to
do anything dangerous for him. However, when Artemis has a project in head,
nothing Butler says or does will stop him.
It would ruin the mood to bring it up again too, so he stays silent and doesn't
think about all the new rules he's just broken.
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