Silence again, because this time Eames is staring at him, his gaze heavy, almost tactile, and Cobb is hearing his meaning, feeling it, and it’s just not... it’s not computing. He can’t possibly be saying...
Some of the two and two making four must show on Cobb’s face, because Eames sighs, and smiles self-depreciatingly and sits back in his chair again.
"Well," he says philosophically. "I suppose there’s one dirty little secret I won’t be keeping any longer." But something tight in his expression, the almost defensive set to his shoulders, belies his tone and that’s what finally gets through to Cobb, makes it real. Eames has always been the kind of guy who slides through everything, effortless, untouched, but he looks scared right now. Cobb’s never known him to be scared.
"You..." Cobb says. "Me?"
"Yes, you, darling," Eames agrees, but his voice is lower, huskier, and the words don’t sound as throwaway as they normally do.
"Oh," Cobb says, breathing, just focusing on breathing normally because for some reason he’s not. "Oh, well, okay then."
Eames blinks. "Sorry?"
"Well," Cobb says, and he can hear himself speaking, but he’s not entirely sure where the words are coming from. "I mean, if we haven’t killed each other by now, it’s not likely we will even after we start sleeping together. Thank Christ. I was really worried, you know? It’s just, it’s a really good team. The things we’re going to be able to do together..."
Eames is laughing again. Sort of. He sounds like he thinks one of them has gone crazy, but isn’t exactly sure who.
"You’re, uh. You’re talking about work now, right?"
"Well, yeah. That’s the point of this conversation, isn’t it?"
Eames blinks. "I... suppose?"
"Cool. Great. I’m glad we had this talk," Cobb finishes, so relieved he barely has the words. He leans over and claps Eames on the shoulder, squeezes, gives him a smile and releases him again. "I knew you’d be alright about it. Okay, so you know my room number, right? I should be done with that client meeting by about ten. That’s not too late, is it?"
"Uh. No," Eames says dazedly.
"Okay," Cobb nods. "Then I’ll see you then."
He collects his bag, gives Eames - who’s still staring at him, his mouth hanging slightly open - another brief smile and turns. He’s got forty minutes to get across town and he might just make it if he bribes the cabbie.
The door swings open just as Cobb reaches it and there’s Arthur. His face goes from blank to smiling when he sees Cobb, and then he looks past Cobb’s shoulder, probably at Eames, and frowns.
"Dom," he says with deliberate coolness. "Anything wrong?"
Cobb pauses, not all that surprised. Arthur’s always been more sensitive than - what was it Eames had said? A wet fish.
"Not a thing," Cobb says with an easy grin. "Eames and I were just having a little chat."
Arthur’s eyes narrow just a little. "What did he say? Do you need me to sort him out for you?"
Cobb smiles. "Nah. I can take care of him."
In the room behind him, Cobb hears a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh. He grins a little more, in the face of Arthur’s obvious bemusement, slaps him on the shoulder in friendly thanks and makes his exit, still smiling, feeling actually fairly pleased with himself. He doesn’t know what he was worried about. That hadn’t been so hard. And Mal had used to tell him he was a terrible middle manager.
"Cool. Great. I’m glad we had this talk," Cobb finishes, so relieved he barely has the words. He leans over and claps Eames on the shoulder, squeezes, gives him a smile and releases him again. "I knew you’d be alright about it. Okay, so you know my room number, right? I should be done with that client meeting by about ten. That’s not too late, is it?"
LOL! Oh Cobb, such a romantic. It's rare to see Eames thrown off his game, but you pulled it off convincingly. Cobb having the whole talk in the style of a performance review is ridiculously funny.
I haven't seen this pairing much before, but this rules! Would love to read more.
I like how matter-of-fact Cobb is in this piece. Lovely in all its two-step-ish dance that they're having. Thanks for sharing the fic. I enjoyed it more as I read it :)
Some of the two and two making four must show on Cobb’s face, because Eames sighs, and smiles self-depreciatingly and sits back in his chair again.
"Well," he says philosophically. "I suppose there’s one dirty little secret I won’t be keeping any longer." But something tight in his expression, the almost defensive set to his shoulders, belies his tone and that’s what finally gets through to Cobb, makes it real. Eames has always been the kind of guy who slides through everything, effortless, untouched, but he looks scared right now. Cobb’s never known him to be scared.
"You..." Cobb says. "Me?"
"Yes, you, darling," Eames agrees, but his voice is lower, huskier, and the words don’t sound as throwaway as they normally do.
"Oh," Cobb says, breathing, just focusing on breathing normally because for some reason he’s not. "Oh, well, okay then."
Eames blinks. "Sorry?"
"Well," Cobb says, and he can hear himself speaking, but he’s not entirely sure where the words are coming from. "I mean, if we haven’t killed each other by now, it’s not likely we will even after we start sleeping together. Thank Christ. I was really worried, you know? It’s just, it’s a really good team. The things we’re going to be able to do together..."
Eames is laughing again. Sort of. He sounds like he thinks one of them has gone crazy, but isn’t exactly sure who.
"You’re, uh. You’re talking about work now, right?"
"Well, yeah. That’s the point of this conversation, isn’t it?"
Eames blinks. "I... suppose?"
"Cool. Great. I’m glad we had this talk," Cobb finishes, so relieved he barely has the words. He leans over and claps Eames on the shoulder, squeezes, gives him a smile and releases him again. "I knew you’d be alright about it. Okay, so you know my room number, right? I should be done with that client meeting by about ten. That’s not too late, is it?"
"Uh. No," Eames says dazedly.
"Okay," Cobb nods. "Then I’ll see you then."
He collects his bag, gives Eames - who’s still staring at him, his mouth hanging slightly open - another brief smile and turns. He’s got forty minutes to get across town and he might just make it if he bribes the cabbie.
The door swings open just as Cobb reaches it and there’s Arthur. His face goes from blank to smiling when he sees Cobb, and then he looks past Cobb’s shoulder, probably at Eames, and frowns.
"Dom," he says with deliberate coolness. "Anything wrong?"
Cobb pauses, not all that surprised. Arthur’s always been more sensitive than - what was it Eames had said? A wet fish.
"Not a thing," Cobb says with an easy grin. "Eames and I were just having a little chat."
Arthur’s eyes narrow just a little. "What did he say? Do you need me to sort him out for you?"
Cobb smiles. "Nah. I can take care of him."
In the room behind him, Cobb hears a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh. He grins a little more, in the face of Arthur’s obvious bemusement, slaps him on the shoulder in friendly thanks and makes his exit, still smiling, feeling actually fairly pleased with himself. He doesn’t know what he was worried about. That hadn’t been so hard. And Mal had used to tell him he was a terrible middle manager.
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LOL! Oh Cobb, such a romantic. It's rare to see Eames thrown off his game, but you pulled it off convincingly. Cobb having the whole talk in the style of a performance review is ridiculously funny.
I haven't seen this pairing much before, but this rules! Would love to read more.
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