(Untitled)

Aug 22, 2012 00:53

After the team had parted ways at LAX, Arthur had decided that it was time for a break. A break from working, from dreaming, and from running around the world picking up after his (so called) friend. He simply took another flight back home, to upstate New York near the place where he'd grown up in order to find some peace of mind. There was very ( Read more... )

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lakoffselephant August 22 2012, 22:57:54 UTC
"I dont know why you do anything you do, to be quite honest." His eyes were trained on every movement that Eames made, not suspicious in the least, but he was innately curious. It has been months since he's seen Eames, and maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that he had found him tucked away in this quaint place. When the other man sat down, he tucked his bare feet closer to the legs of his chair his shoes already pushed beneath it.

Arthur felt himself relaxing back into his seat as Eames spoke, his fingers toying with the edge of cover of his book. "Haven't heard from anyone, but that's kind of the point, isn't it?" He shrugs a little, picking up the book again and closing it, tossing it onto the low table that sits between them. "I'm glad that I'm a difficult person to forget, but I don't understand why you're here, no. It is a little strange," he can't stop fidgeting, just a little, under Eames' scrutiny.

At least, it feels like he's under scrutiny. "I need some time, to myself. And maybe I don't do what you do anymore." The admission feels weird in his mouth, on his tongue, because he hasn't said it out loud before. It's just been a thought, settling down permanently with the money he's accrued.

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forgerart August 23 2012, 13:47:19 UTC
It was amusing to Eames how at home Arthur seemed to be in this place. Methodical, sharp, patronizing Arthur, barefoot and content in this lukewarm home. He couldn't imagine himself in a place like this. Well, that was a lie. He could imagine anything his mind allowed, maybe more, but he wasn't the kind to imagine himself in a place like this. Perhaps that's why Arthur chose it. After all, wouldn't the logical thing be to get as far away from the exaggerated lives they chose for themselves?

"You're right. You seem to be doing well." Eames said honestly, chancing another glance at Arthur as if he were still trying to sink the idea of this man doing anything other than arranging dream space. "I wanted to see what you were doing." Honest again.

Eames let out a small laugh. "Really. You'd give that up to be like this, a near recluse?" His brow furrowed. "I suppose offering you one more job with me would be out of the question?" It couldn't hurt to ask. Not unless Arthur had a gun under that table, too.

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lakoffselephant August 23 2012, 17:17:09 UTC
Funny thing was, Arthur wasn't much different at home than he was at work, it was just a matter of posture and clothing change that likely had Eames looking at him like he'd gone around the bend. Inside, his place was immaculately kept, bookshelves and cabinets meticulously organized. But there was no way he was going to be wearing sweaters, waist coats, or long sleeved shirts in this humidity. And Arthur has always hated wearing shoes but it wasn't something he actively advertized.

"I've always loved it up here." Arthur shrugged as he reached for his coffee mug, using it to hide a portion of his face as he struggled to figure out what to say. "How long did it take you to figure out I'd gone AWOL?"

And once he drained the mug of its contents, he rolled the ceramic between his palms, not finding the idea of retirement so funny. He frowned when Eames laughed. "I'm not a recluse, and yeah, I've been thinking of staying here for an extended amount of time. There's something to be said for stability." After the past handful of years, even someone like Arthur needed something more permanent, at least for a little while. He would get bored, but he hasn't yet.

"You can offer all you want, but I don't have to take it." That's as much as an invitation to continue as Eames was going to get.

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forgerart August 23 2012, 17:37:05 UTC
Cracking a joke was the way Eames could feel less put off by this strange encounter. Seeing Arthur like this, in daily real life was unnerving for reasons he couldn't pinpoint or make sense of yet. It was natural, carefree environment, maybe just a fraction enticing.

"Mm." he murmured, glancing out ahead of him to admire the view for a few seconds before he was looking at the dark-haired man again. "Knew it since we were done with Fischer. Something was... off." Eames wasn't sure how to explain. He leaned against the backrest of the seat, getting more comfortable.

There was another quiet laugh, by no means condescending. "Of course you don't have to, darling. But will you hear me out?" he proposed, both hands coming together, fingers interlocking carefully as he glanced at the other. "Or maybe you could offer me some coffee first. You're a terrible host."

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lakoffselephant August 23 2012, 17:56:32 UTC
He was holding Eames' gaze until he mentioned the Fischer job - and he knew that was essentially giving the forger far more information than he meant to, but he still felt ashamed of his performance during that fiasco. "It was the culmination of a long time spent on Dom's heels," he said in lieu of a real response.

Staring down at the empty mug in his hand for a long moment, he looked back at Eames when he laughed again. "I'm listening," though he wasn't sitting anymore. Arthur stood up, abandoning his shoes and vaguely gesturing for the other man to follow him inside. "I was going to offer, but you're always one step ahead of me, somehow."

And that may have been a compliment, but it was disguised with an almost childish eye roll. Though, Arthur did hold the screen door open behind him in a minor gesture of hospitality. "Part of me thinks that you just want to snoop through the place," he mused, though by no means wary of what Eames may find. He was actually welcoming the other man into his home.

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forgerart August 23 2012, 19:48:46 UTC
Arthur's response was easy, to the point, and Eames quickly understood. He thought it was almost parasitic, that relationship; Arthur working with and taking care of Cobb at the same time. It was enough to drive a person crazy. Enough to drive them to Saratoga Springs.

"I know." Eames replied, his gaze following Arthur's form as the other man stood up. He lingered in his seat, but after quickly dusting off invisible lint from the front of his pants, he took notice of the gesture and joined Arthur. For as backhanded the next statement was, Eames took it for all it was worth. After all, there had been too much time since he'd received one of Arthur's patronizingly subtle compliments.

Heading inside, Eames took a moment to glance back at Arthur, silently confirming the permission granted to enter what may as well have been a breach of intimacy. It was allowed in dreams, but in real life, tangible and open?

"Will you be giving me the full tour?" he asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

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lakoffselephant August 23 2012, 20:07:50 UTC
The stress of playing care taker to an increasingly insane Dom had gotten to Arthur, if the whole misstep of not figuring out that Fischer was militarized was any indication. He earned the right to turn tail and retreat into solidarity. But he didn't precisely need Eames to know that he was still licking that particular wound.

He nodded his assent to Eames, an easy gesture.

Once inside, he ducked around Eames, brushing shoulders as he did so in the narrow entryway. "Well since you asked," he trailed off as he lead the way to the kitchen via the small lounge area that was mostly full of bookcases and a tiny old television set in one corner with a pair of matching wingback chairs. They weren't his, but the books were. "This is the sitting room - and in five feet is the kitchen. The two rooms in the back are the bedroom and bathroom. Not much of a tour, I'm afraid."

Arthur was smirking as he moved into the kitchen and immediately went to the coffee maker to dump the remnants of the morning's coffee. Busying himself with making a fresh batch, he kept stealing glances at the other man. "Are you going to tell me about this job, or what?"

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forgerart August 24 2012, 15:18:36 UTC
The tour ended up not being a tour at all, and Eames chuckled low at this, feeling like he'd barely moved at all. "You like being closed off in real life than in a dream, huh?" he touched the smooth texture of one of the walls, leaning against it momentarily.

After the Fischer job, Eames stopped working shortly, trying to lead some average sort of life until he found he couldn't give up what he did so easily. If at all. He wondered how Arthur had accomplished this level of normalcy.

Joining Arthur in the kitchen, Eames took a seat on one of the chairs of the small dining table, gradually feeling more at ease in this homey setting. He watched the precision of movements it took to make a batch of coffee, momentarily intrigued by it until Arthur spoke.

"Interested, are you?" he held a smug grin, but he didn't want to goad Arthur too much. "It's nothing like the Fischer job. Going back to what we know, you and I."

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lakoffselephant August 25 2012, 20:21:46 UTC
He turned and leaned a hip against the counter, watching Eames with a placid expression on his face. As weird as it should have been to see Eames in his personal space - the place he'd retreated to in order to get away from dream sharing and everything he associated with Eames - it wasn't even mildly disconcerting to see him settle in at his kitchen table.

"I never said I was interested, but I am impatient and you already knew that," he retorted without missing a beat. He was almost prepared for the invocation of the Fischer job this time, so his reaction isn't so obvious this time. But he did react, paused and looked away, back at the brewing coffee pot. "Is this a two person job, or do you have an extractor, too?"

The best way to avoid talking about the Fischer job was to get Eames talking about this new job that he really didn't want to talk about either. Arthur was comfortable here and he was not too keen on giving it up so easily. When the coffee was done, he moved to get Eames a mug, stretching up onto the balls of his feet to reach the high shelf above the sink where he kept them.

He moved around his small kitchen almost lazily, getting the sugar and milk out, in case the other man wanted them. For all the things he could recall about the forger, he had no idea how he took his coffee. Setting everything out on the table for Eames, Arthur hovered for just a moment, "Do you want something to eat?"

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forgerart August 25 2012, 20:40:51 UTC
Eames met Arthur's eyes for a moment, giving him a brief, knowing smile that faded the moment the other man spoke again. "I know you are." He laughed, as if he'd been told a great retort. He still didn't understand that; Arthur's impatience yet he never broke down when he reached the limit. Eames couldn't say the same for himself, he'd likely act childish when his patience was tested. "Two person, if you join."

For his next thought, Eames waited until Arthur set the coffee and other items on the table. He picked up the sugar, pouring an unhealthy amount to it, swirling the hot liquid with the tip of his finger before he took a first sip. He was about to continue, but the other man showed yet another sign of hospitality he couldn't turn down.

"It was a long trip to get here; I suppose if you have something ready..." he glanced at him, trying to word the continuation of the job description as casually as he could. "We'd need to find an extractor, but I had the wild idea that you could be one."He said in a measured tone, wondering how Arthur would take it.

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I apologize for the lateness, had an unexpected amount of traveling to do. lakoffselephant August 28 2012, 03:03:46 UTC
It took quite a lot to get Arthur to truly lose his cool - yes, he was impatient, but he knew how to keep cordial if a bit icy in the face of something truly frustrating. Arthur knew what he wanted and how to get it, most of the time, at any rate and that included keeping his cool when pushed and being rational. Eames' laughter gets a vague smile from him, as of he knew why the man was laughing even if he was mildly bemused. "Just the two of us, then?"

Arthur kept moving, shuffling about the kitchen when the other man indicated wanting something to eat. He'd taken to growing vegetables out in his garden and used them in his cooking to the best of his ability, though he still hasn't really mastered cooking for one quite yet, and so there were quite a few things he had in the fridge or even recently moved to the freezer. "I made lamb stew earlier, if you'd like me to heat you up some," he said from in front of his open fridge. "Or, if you want something to go with that coffee, I've got some strawberry pie."

But he was quite interested to hear what the forger had to say, and he straightened up a bit and looked at him with both eyebrows raised. "That's... certainly a wild idea, yeah." It was certainly telling that Eames thought that he could be an extractor (and point, that part was assumed). Arthur's expression fell a little, brow furrowing as he considered the rather loaded implication. At least, it seemed loaded to him. "I don't want you to think this is a bid of intention to accept the job, but can you elaborate? I'd be fulfilling two roles just because it'll be easier, or..?" He trailed off and turned back to the fridge to pull out both the stew and pie anyway.

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it's alright! thanks for letting me know forgerart August 29 2012, 00:11:37 UTC
Truthfully, the job was secondary as to his intentions for being here. However, he wasn't sure what the first intention was at all. He'd found Arthur; now what? He couldn't expect the other man to drop what he'd built for himself here. Eames was greedy, of course, but Arthur was a tough one to crack. Still, it couldn't hurt to run the offer by him, thinking luck might strike in his favor.

He had never paid attention to any other skill Arthur might've possessed, so at the mention of the stew and the dessert, Eames looked rather impressed. "That would be great, yes." he rubbed his palms together, licking his lips before bringing the mug to his lips for a taste. It was good, really good, eyebrows shooting up but a verbal compliment didn't follow. There was no need for a smug Arthur.

"It's daring, I know." he looked pleased with himself over presenting the challenge, setting the mug back on the counter, one finger tracing the porcelain edge. "Ah, well, honestly?" he toyed with Arthur just for a moment, lingering in his response before he replied to the inquiry. "Frankly, Arthur, dear, there's nobody else I would trust for this."

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:) lakoffselephant August 29 2012, 01:31:37 UTC
Eames didn't need to compliment him aloud for Arthur to get the compliment - he may not be as adept at reading people's expressions and body language as the forger was, but he's seen that expression on Eames' face before. He smiled enough for a dimple to appear in his left cheek as he set about reheating the stew on the stove top, pulling out a pot and dish to put it in afterwards. Arthur was mostly quiet while he worked. But he couldn't resist teasing Eames with a quick, "Yes isn't an answer to an either or question, but alright."

Cooking was kind of a natural thing to fall into with his skill set - following directions and measurements to a fully realized goal. It was calming and he definitely felt at place in his small kitchen. It also felt right, somehow, to have Eames in his kitchen and watching him. The stew was heating up on the stovetop and he put the pie, tin and all, into the oven for a few minutes and he hovered over the stove while watching the other man carefully.

He huffed a little bit at Eames toying with him, drawing out the information and getting him riled up just a little bit. "I'm flattered, truly, but I'm honestly not sure I'm ready to get back into the business." And there it was, that niggling self-doubt manifesting in that one word "ready". The admission was an accident really, but he wasn't taking it back. Arthur merely served up the stew in a bowl and took the pie out of the oven and cut two pieces, carrying the three dishes easily over to the table and he sat the food in front of the other man. He sat himself in the only other seat next to Eames and he dug into his pie without another word.

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forgerart August 29 2012, 02:10:13 UTC
Eames laughed to himself when he saw that distinct dimple on Arthur's cheek. He'd noticed it plenty of times before, mostly when the other man accomplished something, or managed a successful quip (Eames being the target often), and it was then he realized he might've actually missed this sense of familiarity that Arthur managed to bring around in just a short time of exchanges. "Well, can't have lamb stew without dessert, correct?" It made no sense whatsoever but he could care less.

He was set to prolong his time here, in this house, with Arthur. Besides, the other man was taking both items out of the fridge anyway. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a homecooked meal. Probably in Mombasa, after staying with an acquaintance and his family. Eames was looking forward to this, all the while getting another inkling to Arthur's domestic arrangement.

After another sip of coffee, Eames held the mug in one hand, looking up at Arthur with a slightly lidded gaze. "You think so? Not ready?" he laughed, clicking his tongue once, twice, before he gave a slight nod. "Well, I plan to stay in town a few days, perhaps indefinitely, so you know, think about it." Now it was time to focus on the food, and maybe on Arthur's dimple if it made a second appearance.

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lakoffselephant August 29 2012, 03:46:53 UTC
He wasn't intent on kicking Eames out anytime soon, so he really didn't really mind feeding him or talking with him. Especially if he got to hear that delightful laugh from Eames. It was not often that they were in each other's company without the pressure of a job dictating the way they interacted. This was easier, more relaxed and Eames kept laughing - it was nice. "I don't have any bread for the stew, I'm afraid," he apologized with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Though the news that Eames was planning on staying was a bit of a surprise and Arthur stopped picking at the crust of his slice of pie for a moment. "Where are you staying, or have you just breezed into town without a plan?" There was a slight amount of teasing to his tone as he asked the question, sure that Eames would be able to find something if he needed to, what with the commercial hotels among the inns and bed and breakfasts all around Saratoga due to the well known racetrack.

"I will think about it, though, yeah." And that was essentially all he was going to say on the subject of the proposed job unless Eames pushed and pushed, but the food seemed to be distracting him enough. "If you're sticking around," he mused after swallowing a large forkful of pie, "you should check out the horse races. Won't be going on much longer with the summer ending." Arthur smiled again because he actually enjoyed going to the track and watching the races, the people betting on them and the beautiful splay of the mountains in the background.

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forgerart August 29 2012, 04:34:05 UTC
"That's fine." Eamed waved a hand in dismissal, not finding the bread necessary after he'd caught a whiff of the stew. It smelled great; the spoonful he ate shortly after was even better. "This is good." he said in between chewing, eyebrows lifted as if he were admiring the complexity of the meat and juices in the bowl. "Didn't know you cooked, Arthur." he said quickly before spooning more of the soup into his mouth.

Though his decision to stay longer had been improvised, Eames didn't doubt he'd be able to find a place to stay. He always figured something out so this would be no different. At least a phone book might help, however, so he made a mental note to ask Arthur for one before leaving.

"Good. That's all I need. You're not completely ruling it out." Eames pointed out, wiping the corners of his mouth with his thumb. "Hm. Though it seems like a pointless sport, we can go watch sometime." he'd included Arthur in there without shame. Eames told himself that this could be a way to slowly work his way into convincing Arthur to join him, so he'd take it. Besides, where else would he get stew like this?

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