Numer 43 of the 100 things
Title: 43) Not allowed to challenge anyone to a duel to defend Arthur's honour
Authors: immoral-crow and unvarnishedtale
Team: ROMANCE
Prompt: Devotion
Word count: 470 ish
Rating: PG
Warnings: Some slight swearing
A/N: Eames appreciates his point man - everyone else should too. You can find the whole list here.
43) Not allowed to challenge anyone to a duel to defend Arthur's honour.
‘Right, that’s the bloody limit.’
Cobb and Arthur looked up to see Eames striding across the warehouse towards them.
‘Just what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing Cobb?’
Cobb squinted in confusion, so Arthur answered.
‘We’re just sorting out the information for the job, Eames. You know the drill by now.’
Eames huffed in frustration. ‘It didn’t sound like that.’ He scowled at Cobb. ‘It sounded to me like you were questioning Arthur’s research.’
‘I was.’ Cobb still looked puzzled. ‘I don’t think he has the right inf…’ He stopped when he saw the look on Eames’s face. ‘Eames? What’s the problem?’
‘You questioned Arthur.’ Eames’s voice was low and dangerous. ‘He is the best point man in the business, and you,’ he jabbed a finger at Cobb, ‘are questioning him.’
‘But…’ Cobb started, but Eames cut him off.
‘No. No excuses, Cobb. You have insulted Arthur’s professional pride, his honour, and I,’ Eames pulled himself up to his full height, ‘I am challenging you to a duel.’
‘A duel?’ Cobb’s voice was baffled, clearly unsure how this had happened. Arthur, looking between the two of them, felt like a spectator at a tennis match.
‘A duel.’ Eames’s voice was certain, lit up by an emotion Arthur couldn’t place. ‘We will fight for Arthur’s honour, or you retract what you said and apologise to Arthur and to me.’
‘Eames.’ Cobb sounded like he was about to laugh; Arthur hoped for all their sakes he managed to restrain the urge. ‘Eames, you can’t do this. Correction: you can’t keep doing this.’
It was Eames’s turn to look puzzled and Cobb sighed.
‘Yesterday?’ he asked. Eames looked blank. ‘At the coffee shop? When the barista got Arthur’s order wrong? This morning when the traffic warden tried to give Arthur’s car a ticket?’ Eames still looked blank. ‘Half an hour ago when Ariadne tripped and knocked one of Arthur’s files over?’ He shook his head at Eames. ‘This really needs to stop. Arthur doesn’t need you to defend his honour - I know for a fact you have seen him killing a room full of hostile projections with his bare hands. He is fine coping with day to day life.’
Arthur nodded encouragingly, and Eames’s face fell. He retreated to his spot on the other side of the warehouse and his research on the mark’s sister.
Later on, when he was sure Cobb was otherwise occupied, Arthur brushed past Eames, tucking the handkerchief from the breast pocket of his jacket into the top file of Eames’s research, where he was sure Eames would find it. Hidden in the folds of the cloth Arthur had pinned a note. A token for my knight in shining armour it read.
Authors: immoral-crow and unvarnishedtale
Team: ROMANCE
Prompt: Devotion
Word count: 470 ish
Rating: PG
Warnings: Some slight swearing
A/N: Eames appreciates his point man - everyone else should too. You can find the whole list here.
43) Not allowed to challenge anyone to a duel to defend Arthur's honour.
‘Right, that’s the bloody limit.’
Cobb and Arthur looked up to see Eames striding across the warehouse towards them.
‘Just what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing Cobb?’
Cobb squinted in confusion, so Arthur answered.
‘We’re just sorting out the information for the job, Eames. You know the drill by now.’
Eames huffed in frustration. ‘It didn’t sound like that.’ He scowled at Cobb. ‘It sounded to me like you were questioning Arthur’s research.’
‘I was.’ Cobb still looked puzzled. ‘I don’t think he has the right inf…’ He stopped when he saw the look on Eames’s face. ‘Eames? What’s the problem?’
‘You questioned Arthur.’ Eames’s voice was low and dangerous. ‘He is the best point man in the business, and you,’ he jabbed a finger at Cobb, ‘are questioning him.’
‘But…’ Cobb started, but Eames cut him off.
‘No. No excuses, Cobb. You have insulted Arthur’s professional pride, his honour, and I,’ Eames pulled himself up to his full height, ‘I am challenging you to a duel.’
‘A duel?’ Cobb’s voice was baffled, clearly unsure how this had happened. Arthur, looking between the two of them, felt like a spectator at a tennis match.
‘A duel.’ Eames’s voice was certain, lit up by an emotion Arthur couldn’t place. ‘We will fight for Arthur’s honour, or you retract what you said and apologise to Arthur and to me.’
‘Eames.’ Cobb sounded like he was about to laugh; Arthur hoped for all their sakes he managed to restrain the urge. ‘Eames, you can’t do this. Correction: you can’t keep doing this.’
It was Eames’s turn to look puzzled and Cobb sighed.
‘Yesterday?’ he asked. Eames looked blank. ‘At the coffee shop? When the barista got Arthur’s order wrong? This morning when the traffic warden tried to give Arthur’s car a ticket?’ Eames still looked blank. ‘Half an hour ago when Ariadne tripped and knocked one of Arthur’s files over?’ He shook his head at Eames. ‘This really needs to stop. Arthur doesn’t need you to defend his honour - I know for a fact you have seen him killing a room full of hostile projections with his bare hands. He is fine coping with day to day life.’
Arthur nodded encouragingly, and Eames’s face fell. He retreated to his spot on the other side of the warehouse and his research on the mark’s sister.
Later on, when he was sure Cobb was otherwise occupied, Arthur brushed past Eames, tucking the handkerchief from the breast pocket of his jacket into the top file of Eames’s research, where he was sure Eames would find it. Hidden in the folds of the cloth Arthur had pinned a note. A token for my knight in shining armour it read.