Merry (late) X-mas Inception fans!
The lid of the PASIV closed with a smooth snap. Arthur glanced out the window of the warehouse and frowned as he noticed the snow had built up the sills. He could only see a strip of sky - steel grey in the darkening evening.
"Lovely day for an extraction tomorrow," Eames commented, from his desk.
Cobb and Ariadne had both gone home hours before - Cobb so that he could be with his kids while they were on Christmas break, and Ariadne to do the same with some friends who were visiting from her university.
Eames and Arthur were the only ones to stay late today. Arthur had his reasons, but he wasn't certain why Eames was still there.
As if the other man had read his thoughts - and maybe he could read him by a book by now. That tended to happen when you spent a majority of every day dipping into another's subconscious - Eames stood from his desk and walked to join Arthur, a slim wrapped box in his hands.
"What's that?" Arthur asked, eyeing the thing like it was a snake about to strike.
Eames didn't answer right away. He set the box on the closed PASIV lid and with a smile said, "Happy Hanukkah, Arthur."
Arthur stared at him, for a moment too surprised for words. A hundred thoughts and questions all seemed to come out at once. How did Eames know? Why had he done this? What did it mean? Why did he care at all?
But he knew the answer to the last one and Eames was looking at him with expectation in his eyes, so Arthur said nothing, only dropped his gaze to the slim box and carefully - carefully started to unwrap the delicate gold foil paper.
The watch inside was exquisite. A beautiful Tourbillon, hand crafted. The same one, incidentally, Arthur had been wistfully looking over a few weeks ago in the catalog.
Arthur's fingers brushed over the crystal face, and he dearly wanted to pick it up, but...
"I can't," he said, his throat dry, looking up to meet Eames' eyes.
Eames' hand closed over Arthur's own, holding it to the watch. "You can," he said, quietly. "I'd love nothing more than to see it on you."
"But... I didn't get you anything." And even if he did, it wouldn't have--- nothing Arthur thought of would have compared to... this.
Eames' eyes were soft, and Arthur knew at that moment this was more than just a hideously expensive present. "Wasn't expecting anything back. It's not the point, is it?"
He made to move his hand away, but this time it was Arthur who stopped him, grabbing Eames' hand. "Thank you," he said, and he meant it.
Eames slow smile seemed to chase away the lingering cold from outside. And the spots where he touched Arthur's wrist while helping put on the watch tingled long afterwards.