As Long As It's Not Continental (Inception)
Title: As Long As It's Not Continental
Author: kick_back_80s
Summary: Eames switches to nightshift at the hotel where Arthur is the manager.
Pairings/Characters: Eames, Arthur, Cobb, Ariadne, Yusuf, Robert Fischer (Saito and Mal both get a mention)
Word Count: 1031
Rating: PG (for one bad word I can think of)
Disclaimer: I in no way, shape or form own Inception
A/N: Written for this prompt on inception_kink. I hope this is at least something like what the prompter was looking for. Small thanks to my sister for her hospitality management knowledge.
“I’m thinking of trying to switch to the overnight shift,” Eames said as Cobb handed over his schedule for the next two weeks.
Cobb just hmm’d in response and went back to whatever he was doing on the computer before Eames had come in.
--
“Why would you do that?” Yusuf asked. “I hear the night manager’s a complete dick.”
Eames shrugged. “It’ll be easier to schedule classes around.”
“More power to you, mate,” Yusuf muttered, as a couple came up to the desk to check in.
--
When Cobb hands over the next shift schedule two weeks later, it’s got Eames working a double with an overnight shift at the end of the week. ‘At least he listens,’ Eames thought, before going up to the desk to help Yusuf with the line of people waiting to check in.
--
“It can get a bit dull, sometimes” is all the overnight manager (‘Arthur, the name tag helpfully supplied) said to Eames on his first night, other than explaining what he was expected to do.
Dull, to Eames, seemed just fine after already working a chaotic afternoon shift.
--
“Why are you here?” Arthur asked on their third shift together.
“Had to pay for school somehow,” Eames replied. They were silent for a bit before he thought to add “You?”
“It’s a long story,” was all Arthur said in response.
--
Two weeks after settling into the new schedule, Eames encounters his first issue on the overnight shift. The air conditioner in one of the rooms breaks, and there’s a rather angry guest nearly shouting at him about the whole thing.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” Eames tells him. “We’ll move you to a different room and comp some of your bill.”
The guy’s still grumbling when Eames offers to help move his luggage, even though really he doesn’t have to. The little half smile he thinks he sees Arthur give him almost makes lugging way-too-heavy luggage for a two night stay worth it.
--
“I meant why are you here, in the States,” Arthur said two nights later as they were both working in the back.
“It’s a long story,” Eames replied.
--
Yusuf calls in sick and Cobb calls Eames in, which is how he meets Ariadne.
“Oh, so you’re the poor sap who I switched shifts with, then,” she said halfway through the shift.
Eames laughed. “It’s really not that bad. Plenty of time to do school work.”
“Yeah, but Arthur’s so boring,” she said. “It’d be better if, you know, he talked or was even remotely human.”
“Oh, but then he wouldn’t be Arthur, now, would he?” Eames grinned and Ariadne laughed.
“Yeah, I suppose not.”
--
“I’ve been friends with Cobb for... a long time,” Arthur said two nights after Yusuf called in sick. Eames looked up from the textbook he was reading.
“And when Mal...” Arthur stopped and shook his head. “I’ve just been friends with Cobb for a long time.”
“Well, that’s only half an answer, now, isn’t it,” Eames said, but he was smiling, a bit.
Arthur huffed out something that might have been a laugh.
Neither of them really said much after that, though.
--
“I was trying to get away from my parents,” Eames told Arthur the next night.
Arthur frowned at him. “Why?”
“Half answer for a half answer,” Eames replied, smiling.
--
Robert Fischer is probably going to give Arthur an aneurysm, Eames thinks.
“This is his fifth call in two hours,” Arthur said, seething.
“Well, darling, eventually he’s got to sleep,” Eames replied, before going back to housekeeping to get another towel to run up to Fischer.
Later, once the calls have stopped (it’s a grand total of twelve, but Eames can’t remember what most of them were for), Arthur’s looking at Eames as if he’s grown a second head or dyed his hair fuchsia or something equally puzzling.
“It’s not polite to stare, you know,” Eames said, taking out a book.
“Sorry,” is all Arthur said in response.
--
“I have it on good authority that your great nemesis of the month has checked out,” Eames said at the start of the shift the next night.
“Oh? And what authority would that be?” Arthur asked, a smile half-formed on his lips.
“The always handy, always trustworthy computer system,” Eames replied. “That, and I know someone who was here when he checked out. It was quite the ordeal, apparently.”
The half-formed smile was hidden behind a hand. “I’m sure.”
--
The next couple weeks saw nothing but problem after problem, from a burst pipe to a tour bus that could only be half-booked because the rest of the rooms were full. Eames mostly forgot about the half-answers in between calls to plumbers and carpenters and paperwork.
--
“Saito hired Cobb to be the day manager, and Mal to be the night manager,” Arthur said one night once things had died down. Eames closed the book he was reading as Arthur continued. “Except, when they met, I guess they fell in love or something close enough, and Mal wanted to quit, so they could be together.”
“But they needed a replacement,” Eames said.
Arthur nodded. “Yeah. Which is why I’m here. And now, I can’t really leave, at least, not while he’s still...” Arthur shrugged.
Mourning Eames’ mind supplied, but neither of them said anything after that.
--
“They wanted, well, I don’t quite remember what exactly they wanted me to go into, anymore. Something dull, something practical. Essentially, something that they thought would reform how wayward I had become,” Eames told Arthur a few nights later.
“So you left?” Arthur asked, glancing up from the computer.
Eames nodded. “Decided this would be best, for me.”
Arthur nodded back in response.
--
A week or so later, as they’re getting ready to leave in the morning, Arthur asked Eames if he wanted to maybe get breakfast.
“As long as it’s not continental,” Eames replied, grinning, which got a laugh out of Arthur.
“I think I know a place, then.”
.end.
Author: kick_back_80s
Summary: Eames switches to nightshift at the hotel where Arthur is the manager.
Pairings/Characters: Eames, Arthur, Cobb, Ariadne, Yusuf, Robert Fischer (Saito and Mal both get a mention)
Word Count: 1031
Rating: PG (for one bad word I can think of)
Disclaimer: I in no way, shape or form own Inception
A/N: Written for this prompt on inception_kink. I hope this is at least something like what the prompter was looking for. Small thanks to my sister for her hospitality management knowledge.
“I’m thinking of trying to switch to the overnight shift,” Eames said as Cobb handed over his schedule for the next two weeks.
Cobb just hmm’d in response and went back to whatever he was doing on the computer before Eames had come in.
--
“Why would you do that?” Yusuf asked. “I hear the night manager’s a complete dick.”
Eames shrugged. “It’ll be easier to schedule classes around.”
“More power to you, mate,” Yusuf muttered, as a couple came up to the desk to check in.
--
When Cobb hands over the next shift schedule two weeks later, it’s got Eames working a double with an overnight shift at the end of the week. ‘At least he listens,’ Eames thought, before going up to the desk to help Yusuf with the line of people waiting to check in.
--
“It can get a bit dull, sometimes” is all the overnight manager (‘Arthur, the name tag helpfully supplied) said to Eames on his first night, other than explaining what he was expected to do.
Dull, to Eames, seemed just fine after already working a chaotic afternoon shift.
--
“Why are you here?” Arthur asked on their third shift together.
“Had to pay for school somehow,” Eames replied. They were silent for a bit before he thought to add “You?”
“It’s a long story,” was all Arthur said in response.
--
Two weeks after settling into the new schedule, Eames encounters his first issue on the overnight shift. The air conditioner in one of the rooms breaks, and there’s a rather angry guest nearly shouting at him about the whole thing.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” Eames tells him. “We’ll move you to a different room and comp some of your bill.”
The guy’s still grumbling when Eames offers to help move his luggage, even though really he doesn’t have to. The little half smile he thinks he sees Arthur give him almost makes lugging way-too-heavy luggage for a two night stay worth it.
--
“I meant why are you here, in the States,” Arthur said two nights later as they were both working in the back.
“It’s a long story,” Eames replied.
--
Yusuf calls in sick and Cobb calls Eames in, which is how he meets Ariadne.
“Oh, so you’re the poor sap who I switched shifts with, then,” she said halfway through the shift.
Eames laughed. “It’s really not that bad. Plenty of time to do school work.”
“Yeah, but Arthur’s so boring,” she said. “It’d be better if, you know, he talked or was even remotely human.”
“Oh, but then he wouldn’t be Arthur, now, would he?” Eames grinned and Ariadne laughed.
“Yeah, I suppose not.”
--
“I’ve been friends with Cobb for... a long time,” Arthur said two nights after Yusuf called in sick. Eames looked up from the textbook he was reading.
“And when Mal...” Arthur stopped and shook his head. “I’ve just been friends with Cobb for a long time.”
“Well, that’s only half an answer, now, isn’t it,” Eames said, but he was smiling, a bit.
Arthur huffed out something that might have been a laugh.
Neither of them really said much after that, though.
--
“I was trying to get away from my parents,” Eames told Arthur the next night.
Arthur frowned at him. “Why?”
“Half answer for a half answer,” Eames replied, smiling.
--
Robert Fischer is probably going to give Arthur an aneurysm, Eames thinks.
“This is his fifth call in two hours,” Arthur said, seething.
“Well, darling, eventually he’s got to sleep,” Eames replied, before going back to housekeeping to get another towel to run up to Fischer.
Later, once the calls have stopped (it’s a grand total of twelve, but Eames can’t remember what most of them were for), Arthur’s looking at Eames as if he’s grown a second head or dyed his hair fuchsia or something equally puzzling.
“It’s not polite to stare, you know,” Eames said, taking out a book.
“Sorry,” is all Arthur said in response.
--
“I have it on good authority that your great nemesis of the month has checked out,” Eames said at the start of the shift the next night.
“Oh? And what authority would that be?” Arthur asked, a smile half-formed on his lips.
“The always handy, always trustworthy computer system,” Eames replied. “That, and I know someone who was here when he checked out. It was quite the ordeal, apparently.”
The half-formed smile was hidden behind a hand. “I’m sure.”
--
The next couple weeks saw nothing but problem after problem, from a burst pipe to a tour bus that could only be half-booked because the rest of the rooms were full. Eames mostly forgot about the half-answers in between calls to plumbers and carpenters and paperwork.
--
“Saito hired Cobb to be the day manager, and Mal to be the night manager,” Arthur said one night once things had died down. Eames closed the book he was reading as Arthur continued. “Except, when they met, I guess they fell in love or something close enough, and Mal wanted to quit, so they could be together.”
“But they needed a replacement,” Eames said.
Arthur nodded. “Yeah. Which is why I’m here. And now, I can’t really leave, at least, not while he’s still...” Arthur shrugged.
Mourning Eames’ mind supplied, but neither of them said anything after that.
--
“They wanted, well, I don’t quite remember what exactly they wanted me to go into, anymore. Something dull, something practical. Essentially, something that they thought would reform how wayward I had become,” Eames told Arthur a few nights later.
“So you left?” Arthur asked, glancing up from the computer.
Eames nodded. “Decided this would be best, for me.”
Arthur nodded back in response.
--
A week or so later, as they’re getting ready to leave in the morning, Arthur asked Eames if he wanted to maybe get breakfast.
“As long as it’s not continental,” Eames replied, grinning, which got a laugh out of Arthur.
“I think I know a place, then.”
.end.