Fic: Circle (Eames/Arthur) [Inception--PG]
Title: Circle
Author: lylark
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Rating: PG
Genre: AU, Angst, Slice of Life
Warnings: Language
Word Count: 1,062
Disclaimer: I don't own the movie nor do I own the characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this, if you know what I mean.
Summary: He woke up the next day with a sluggish mind and a confused heart.
A/N: Just something that happened when I was inspired after reading other Inception fanfics.
Leaves
Eames wondered why the leaves were dying so soon, clinging onto anorexic branches that could care less. His eyes focused on the sickly yellow hues; it was as if they all caught the similar an insistent fever that injected a hot red shade to their sputtering cells, all to make Mother Nature’s plans successful. A cold gust of wind collided with the foliage. Most of them surrendered and said a bittersweet adieu to the tree, but a few of them, the ones that appropriately braced their thin selves, managed to keep their will for a little while longer. A little while longer to brawl against Life’s cycle. A little less optimism dying along with them.
A melodic rustling sound lulled his’ ears. It was a good change compared with the ruckus that he knew was waiting for him back at his occupation as a bartender. Loud banter, loud music, loud television. Loud mental shouts that echoed in his lost mind about what the hell he was doing there, serving up alcoholic drinks to satisfy a dirt bag’s game plan to get lucky with the drunken slut across the room or to assist strangers in getting a DUI.
He knew he was dying a little bit inside, day after day, just like those leaves.
In a few days, they’d be no longer.
Knowing
He woke up the next day with a sluggish mind and a confused heart.
He felt like shit.
Sunrays crept through the grayish curtains that hid reality away from the man, who, after pondering about his role in the universe, curled up in a miserable ball and wrapped his comforter tight around his cold body, almost like a desperate move.
Like it was the only thing that he depended on. Like it was the only thing that hugged him throughout the quiet night. Like it was the only thing that understood him.
And that much was true.
He didn’t know when things would change.
He also didn’t know why he was crying.
Issue
He didn’t have the slightest idea that dreams could be difficult to accomplish in real life.
Break-Just a Friend
Eames walked down the sidewalk, hands in his thin jacket, breathing out the cool air. He didn’t know where he was going nor did he care. He finally got out of his bed, took a shower, put on some clean clothes, ate a decent breakfast, and got out of the house after three days of feeling sorry for himself. He finally quit his job as a bartender. And he finally made a decision to start putting his life back together again.
Unfortunately he didn’t know that putting his life back together would be a difficult task to complete. The different shapes of his past made it almost impossible to fix. They were all mashed up together in a big pile of-
A sudden wave of gloom took a hold of him. It wasn’t about to let go now.
“Are you all right?”
He glanced to his right and believed that he was in a nightmare that transformed into a dream. A gasp escaped his mouth and jumped out of his cracked lips.
The man offered him a pleasant half-smile.
“Didn’t think I’d see you around,” Arthur replied, eyes holding a glint that would surely make the other shiver. “Want to drink coffee with me? Let’s catch up like old times.”
Eames avoided eye-contact. He assumed it was best that way. But that didn’t stop him from feeling his heartbeat accelerate with each breath he took near the man he loved for seconds, days, weeks, months, years.
The only man he ever loved.
Arthur never knew.
Lie
Light-hearted conversations flowed about them. The aroma of coffee tickled their noses. The sun hid behind clouds now. Overcast. Darkness was observing them.
“Talk to me,” Arthur said. He took a sip from his cup after making sure the liquid was warm enough for his tongue to handle. A glance to his wristwatch signaled that he had somewhere else to go later. But he was spending time here, with the hesitant man sitting across from him.
Don’t make eye-contact, don’t make eye-contact, don’t make-
The words of pain and the words of desperation and the words of sadness attempted to open his mouth out of stubbornness. They were tired of being locked up inside his soul. They yearned to flee and live in another human being’s ears instead. They wanted to be heard.
“I-I’m fine. Everything’s fine,” Eames answered.
The first few raindrops crashed into the street outside. Lightning lit the gloomy sky for a moment.
“Stop lying.”
And that was when Eames started being honest to himself as he confessed the things that clouded his mind. Tempting drugs that drove him to the wrong path. Meaningless sex he’d get out of meaningless relationships. Troubling nightmares he’d get from his abusive childhood. Suicidal thoughts that made him an emotional mess.
That was his life. That was his life and he wasn’t proud of it. Not at all. Past mistakes, past events, past tragedies. In the end, it always came down to that, didn’t it? They could never be undone. They could never be erased. They could never be thrown at the darkest corner of one’s heart. They’ll always be a part of him and he’ll always be a part of them.
He just needed someone to listen to his words.
Arthur leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, eyes intent, eyebrows furrowed, lips in a straight line. The ferocious weather was getting nastier by the second; it was untamed. The lights flickered. A baby cried. Strangers raced to get to their cars outside, blanketed with a certain type of coldness that made the misery ooze inside them.
However, Eames felt the opposite. He’d never felt more relieved. He’d never felt more comfortable with himself. He’d never felt like a normal person, whose faults went to show that he was human. He’d never felt so in love with the person sitting in front of him.
And so that lead him to say a sentence that would change his life forever. He snatched his chance and hopefully he did it right.
“Be with me.”
End
Two men lay side-by-side in a bed that never felt so warm and in a love that never felt so great.