She's Always a Woman to Me [Chapter 2/5]
Title: She's Always a Woman to Me [Chapter 1/5]
Pairing: Arthur/Mal,( Eventually Arthur/Eames)
Word Count: 1,501 (In this chapter)
Rating: NC-17
Summary: What Cobb doesn't know can't really hurt him, so with that in mind Arthur and Mal decide to take their chances and have an affair.
Author's Notes: Didn't mean to take so long in getting the second chapter up. But here it is! Thank you to awabubbles and writebetwixt for being awesome Betas. Love you guys. Oh and for the record, the characters belong to the lovely Mr. Nolan.
Months passed and Arthur spent many a night like that, the image of Mal changing every so often to some other unobtainable fantasy. He was okay living with that. As long as he had some form of outlet for himself he would be content watching her and Cobb as long as she was happy. She was a piece of artwork hidden behind a glass at one of the many museums. He could look and admire and study her all he wanted but there was no way to touch her.
Arthur had hardly expected her to ask him about it. Cobb was out and he was working on cleaning and maintaining the PASIV when she pulled a chair up beside him. She watched him for a few moments and he tried not to watch her out of the corner of his eye. Arthur was the first to speak.
“Are you interested in learning how to do this?” He asked with eyes still focused on his task, fingers meticulously working over every detail of the machine to check it. Mal chuckled lightly and shook her head. “No, I had something to ask you actually.” Arthur placed his work aside and lifted his eyes to meet hers to show she had his undivided attention.
“Have you ever wanted to try something but you knew you shouldn’t because no matter what the outcome of it, someone was bound to get hurt?” There it was and there was no mistaking it. All those looks that he had done a double take on, every smile that he thought he saw turn slightly devious, much like a child holding some special secret. Each one of them had now been proven to him. It wasn’t just a trick of the light or wishful thinking.
“Well, yes on occasion.” he admitted quietly and continued speaking. “But I’ve never allowed myself to act on such impulses.”
His eyes were locked with hers; he couldn’t bring himself to look away this time. So much was said in the silence that followed that statement. Their eyes communicated some secret agreement that was never to be spoken out loud, just understood. They would try this, but not cross any lines. They wouldn’t let it get too far. By no means did he want to ruin a perfectly good relationship, however; if this is what she wanted and it would make her happy there seemed to be no reason why he couldn’t.
Mal leaned forward with no warning and Arthur’s lips soon caught hers. Their mouth’s pressed hungrily together as if they needed the other as much as they needed oxygen. She let out a moan that muffled itself on their kiss. Arthur managed to gain entrance to her mouth and he slid his tongue to fully taste her trying to remember every detail of this that he could. His heart was pounding by the time her fingers wound around his tie to pull him closer.
The front door unlocked and they were back to their tasks by the time Cobb returned. Nothing was off at all accept Arthur’s shirt was a little more wrinkled than he usually kept it, but Cobb was too busy giving Mal a new bracelet to notice. He should have been terrified of Cobb catching what had happened or ashamed he had even done that, but all he felt was relief and perhaps a small twinge of jealousy.
***
A week into their affair Arthur was pacing, one hand pressed to his chin and brow creased in thought. Mal had come up behind him and slipped her hands over his shoulders to rest on his chest. He stopped and felt her press against his body, nuzzling into his neck. He always liked when she did that. “What are you thinking about?” She questioned in a way, so innocent and pure, that he dropped his shoulders a fraction and turned around to take her face into his hands.
“If we are going to keep doing this Mal….” He paused and she kept her eyes locked on his just waiting to hear him out before she responded. He sighed before continuing. “I think it’s better if we don’t sleep together. Trust me, it’s not for my lack of wanting to, it’s just… I see how happy you are with Cobb. I don’t want to ruin that. I don’t know how long we will last. If it’s just a fling we’re having, fine, it’ll be that and when it’s over we won’t speak to anyone about it again. If we have sex it’s going to start getting messy and I for one don’t want to steal you away from a man who rightfully had you first and has done nothing but make you smile.”
She nodded understanding what he said, her hands wrapped loosely around his wrists. “I know that…but what if-“
He gave her a bit of a look that silenced her. It wasn’t anything cruel or demanding. “We’ll get to the “ifs” when we get there.” Mal nodded and he leaned down to kiss her into a smile, her hands moving to rest on his throat and slowly caressed his skin.
They were very secretive about their affair. Not to mention careful to cover any evidence they could possibly leave behind. He’d take her out for coffee occasionally; there was even a time or two they got a chance to go to the movies. Once he took her dancing and to Mal’s surprise he was a superb ballroom dancer. However, most of it consisted of when Cobb left for some reason and they would be on one another, clinging, pulling, grinding and just living off each other for whatever time they had until Cobb returned.
***
Over a year had passed and Cobb had never known. Arthur knew it was an odd way to live but he was somehow comfortable with his little secret. True, there were many times where he was tested to break their vow of celibacy, but he never did. He knew he couldn’t live with that amount of guilt if he did sleep with her. Arthur just counted himself lucky it had gone on this long.
They came in that morning looking a lot brighter than usual and Arthur looked up grinning over at them. “You both are in a rather cheerful mood.” He commented, but he couldn’t take his eyes off just how radiant Mal looked but it faltered for an instant when her eyes met his.
“We’re engaged.” Cobb responded with a lighthearted laugh and Arthur’s chest froze up as if someone was trying to squeeze the air out of him.
“Oh. Well. Congratulations.” It was so hard to make that sound sincere, so hard that it actually hurt him to say. He glanced back to Mal who couldn’t quite meet his eyes. He excused himself saying he had some paper work to do. It shouldn’t hurt this much. He should have known it would come to this, that it would all end at some point. Arthur had always known that, it was just a truth he chose to forget.
Mal found him later that night. Neither of them had been able to sleep and Arthur was in the kitchen working on drinking a mug of room-temperature tea. He preferred it hotter, but he had been caught up in thoughts and emotion. He didn’t even notice that he had tugged away from her placed her hand on his arm.
“I’m sorry Arthur.”
“Don’t be.” He responded, eyes focused on his drink. “We both went into this knowing it couldn’t be forever. So it ends, we move on. We are both intelligent and adaptable adults, so we adapt. That’s what we do,” he explained quietly, voice void of any emotion. He didn’t dare let it seep in; because the instant he let any amount of how he felt into his voice that would be the end of him.
“It doesn’t have to end.” She tried to say, hand reaching to caress his jaw so she could turn him to look at her. Arthur just stared at her, lips thin and drawn into a line.
“Yes it does, you are engaged to get married. I think that would be cause to stop an affair.” He can’t help but place a hand on her cheek.
She shook her head a hand resting on his. “There is a way. We stop at the wedding. We have until then; I owe you that much for not telling you.”
Arthur couldn’t help but feel it was actually a selfish reason she wanted that. To him it was just prolonging the inevitable. Still somewhere in that year he had lost the ability to deny her anything. He never lost that feel of a puppy just trying to please his master the best he could. Even when this ended he’d probably still treat her like that. “Alright.” He gave in and she kissed the palm of his hand. “We have until the wedding.”
Pairing: Arthur/Mal,( Eventually Arthur/Eames)
Word Count: 1,501 (In this chapter)
Rating: NC-17
Summary: What Cobb doesn't know can't really hurt him, so with that in mind Arthur and Mal decide to take their chances and have an affair.
Author's Notes: Didn't mean to take so long in getting the second chapter up. But here it is! Thank you to awabubbles and writebetwixt for being awesome Betas. Love you guys. Oh and for the record, the characters belong to the lovely Mr. Nolan.
Months passed and Arthur spent many a night like that, the image of Mal changing every so often to some other unobtainable fantasy. He was okay living with that. As long as he had some form of outlet for himself he would be content watching her and Cobb as long as she was happy. She was a piece of artwork hidden behind a glass at one of the many museums. He could look and admire and study her all he wanted but there was no way to touch her.
Arthur had hardly expected her to ask him about it. Cobb was out and he was working on cleaning and maintaining the PASIV when she pulled a chair up beside him. She watched him for a few moments and he tried not to watch her out of the corner of his eye. Arthur was the first to speak.
“Are you interested in learning how to do this?” He asked with eyes still focused on his task, fingers meticulously working over every detail of the machine to check it. Mal chuckled lightly and shook her head. “No, I had something to ask you actually.” Arthur placed his work aside and lifted his eyes to meet hers to show she had his undivided attention.
“Have you ever wanted to try something but you knew you shouldn’t because no matter what the outcome of it, someone was bound to get hurt?” There it was and there was no mistaking it. All those looks that he had done a double take on, every smile that he thought he saw turn slightly devious, much like a child holding some special secret. Each one of them had now been proven to him. It wasn’t just a trick of the light or wishful thinking.
“Well, yes on occasion.” he admitted quietly and continued speaking. “But I’ve never allowed myself to act on such impulses.”
His eyes were locked with hers; he couldn’t bring himself to look away this time. So much was said in the silence that followed that statement. Their eyes communicated some secret agreement that was never to be spoken out loud, just understood. They would try this, but not cross any lines. They wouldn’t let it get too far. By no means did he want to ruin a perfectly good relationship, however; if this is what she wanted and it would make her happy there seemed to be no reason why he couldn’t.
Mal leaned forward with no warning and Arthur’s lips soon caught hers. Their mouth’s pressed hungrily together as if they needed the other as much as they needed oxygen. She let out a moan that muffled itself on their kiss. Arthur managed to gain entrance to her mouth and he slid his tongue to fully taste her trying to remember every detail of this that he could. His heart was pounding by the time her fingers wound around his tie to pull him closer.
The front door unlocked and they were back to their tasks by the time Cobb returned. Nothing was off at all accept Arthur’s shirt was a little more wrinkled than he usually kept it, but Cobb was too busy giving Mal a new bracelet to notice. He should have been terrified of Cobb catching what had happened or ashamed he had even done that, but all he felt was relief and perhaps a small twinge of jealousy.
***
A week into their affair Arthur was pacing, one hand pressed to his chin and brow creased in thought. Mal had come up behind him and slipped her hands over his shoulders to rest on his chest. He stopped and felt her press against his body, nuzzling into his neck. He always liked when she did that. “What are you thinking about?” She questioned in a way, so innocent and pure, that he dropped his shoulders a fraction and turned around to take her face into his hands.
“If we are going to keep doing this Mal….” He paused and she kept her eyes locked on his just waiting to hear him out before she responded. He sighed before continuing. “I think it’s better if we don’t sleep together. Trust me, it’s not for my lack of wanting to, it’s just… I see how happy you are with Cobb. I don’t want to ruin that. I don’t know how long we will last. If it’s just a fling we’re having, fine, it’ll be that and when it’s over we won’t speak to anyone about it again. If we have sex it’s going to start getting messy and I for one don’t want to steal you away from a man who rightfully had you first and has done nothing but make you smile.”
She nodded understanding what he said, her hands wrapped loosely around his wrists. “I know that…but what if-“
He gave her a bit of a look that silenced her. It wasn’t anything cruel or demanding. “We’ll get to the “ifs” when we get there.” Mal nodded and he leaned down to kiss her into a smile, her hands moving to rest on his throat and slowly caressed his skin.
They were very secretive about their affair. Not to mention careful to cover any evidence they could possibly leave behind. He’d take her out for coffee occasionally; there was even a time or two they got a chance to go to the movies. Once he took her dancing and to Mal’s surprise he was a superb ballroom dancer. However, most of it consisted of when Cobb left for some reason and they would be on one another, clinging, pulling, grinding and just living off each other for whatever time they had until Cobb returned.
***
Over a year had passed and Cobb had never known. Arthur knew it was an odd way to live but he was somehow comfortable with his little secret. True, there were many times where he was tested to break their vow of celibacy, but he never did. He knew he couldn’t live with that amount of guilt if he did sleep with her. Arthur just counted himself lucky it had gone on this long.
They came in that morning looking a lot brighter than usual and Arthur looked up grinning over at them. “You both are in a rather cheerful mood.” He commented, but he couldn’t take his eyes off just how radiant Mal looked but it faltered for an instant when her eyes met his.
“We’re engaged.” Cobb responded with a lighthearted laugh and Arthur’s chest froze up as if someone was trying to squeeze the air out of him.
“Oh. Well. Congratulations.” It was so hard to make that sound sincere, so hard that it actually hurt him to say. He glanced back to Mal who couldn’t quite meet his eyes. He excused himself saying he had some paper work to do. It shouldn’t hurt this much. He should have known it would come to this, that it would all end at some point. Arthur had always known that, it was just a truth he chose to forget.
Mal found him later that night. Neither of them had been able to sleep and Arthur was in the kitchen working on drinking a mug of room-temperature tea. He preferred it hotter, but he had been caught up in thoughts and emotion. He didn’t even notice that he had tugged away from her placed her hand on his arm.
“I’m sorry Arthur.”
“Don’t be.” He responded, eyes focused on his drink. “We both went into this knowing it couldn’t be forever. So it ends, we move on. We are both intelligent and adaptable adults, so we adapt. That’s what we do,” he explained quietly, voice void of any emotion. He didn’t dare let it seep in; because the instant he let any amount of how he felt into his voice that would be the end of him.
“It doesn’t have to end.” She tried to say, hand reaching to caress his jaw so she could turn him to look at her. Arthur just stared at her, lips thin and drawn into a line.
“Yes it does, you are engaged to get married. I think that would be cause to stop an affair.” He can’t help but place a hand on her cheek.
She shook her head a hand resting on his. “There is a way. We stop at the wedding. We have until then; I owe you that much for not telling you.”
Arthur couldn’t help but feel it was actually a selfish reason she wanted that. To him it was just prolonging the inevitable. Still somewhere in that year he had lost the ability to deny her anything. He never lost that feel of a puppy just trying to please his master the best he could. Even when this ended he’d probably still treat her like that. “Alright.” He gave in and she kissed the palm of his hand. “We have until the wedding.”