Inception fic: Blighted Dreams
Title: Blighted Dreams
Pairing: Dominic Cobb (Mr. Charles)/Robert Fisher, Saito
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst, Introspection
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Inception belongs to Christopher Nolan
Word Count: ~4.200
Summary: The man in Robert Fisher's dreams doesn't have a first name, doesn't really have a name at all. He's not real.
Author Notes: so yes, Inception has taken over my brain, I could never resist a new fandom.
The inability to open up to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams.
- Elizabeth Gilbert
Blighted Dreams
The man in Robert Fisher's dreams doesn't have a first name, doesn't really have a name at all.
He's not real.
He is to Robert, though.
…
After the death of his father Robert has been having trouble sleeping, too many thoughts crowding his mind for him to relax and fall into any kind of slumber. He has a plan, but he needs time and money to put it into motion.
The money is not a problem; he has more than enough of it. Will have more than he can possibly spend in a lifetime after he splits his father's empire and sells the parts to whoever wants to buy them.
Robert doesn't intend to touch it, though. He has already planned which charities will benefit from his father's genius. He's not a martyr nor is he doing it for the greater good or to try and help humanity, Robert has earned enough to start his own business and has the experience and knowledge to make it as successful as his father's was.
It would all be worthless if he did otherwise.
Uncle Pete has tried to tell him it's a bad idea, that it's not what his father would have wanted, but all that is meaningless to Robert. It's not that he doesn't trust his Uncle but he wasn't there, he can't possibly know how Robert feels.
It's after one of those endless meetings with his uncle, almost a month after his father's death, that Robert finally falls deep asleep due to exhaustion. He hasn't noticed before the fact that he wasn't sleeping, and it's not until he is in the dream, confronted by a half remembered figure, that he realizes.
The man is attractive and exudes a powerful aura of confidence, his deep blue eyes clear and straightforward. Robert can't remember what they talked about in the dream when he wakes up, can't even remember what the dream was about, but he remembers the man.
He wakes up with a sudden feeling of longing and thinking about paper pinwheels.
He's even more determined than before to create his own empire.
…
Mr. Charles, that’s the name of the man.
In his dreams Robert doesn't need to fight against his attraction to him, not like he has been fighting his attraction to other men his entire life.
In his dreams Robert smiles up to him and lets himself melt under his body.
In his dreams Robert always knows he's dreaming because Mr. Charles is in them.
…
Building an empire from scratch is harder than Robert would have ever imagined, even with the help and expertise of Uncle Pete. It makes him feel closer to his father though, knowing Maurice had to go through the same things he's going through now, had to face the same obstacles and fight the same lost battles.
It's also very tiring. Meetings all day long, trying to convince people too attached to their money that his dream, his vision, is something worth putting it in. That he, in spite of not being his father, is worth investing in.
In the six months he's been working on his project Robert still has nothing solid to show for his efforts, but the seed is there, slowly taking root and growing.
He's not Maurice, that's something Robert has always been painfully conscious of.
Now he's not trying to, Robert believes he might be different, but not worse. Never less than what Maurice was.
Maybe even a bit more.
…
In his dreams Mr. Charles is always calm and collected, always in control.
Robert relishes the loss of control when he's with Mr. Charles, relishes the ability to let go and just feel.
Even if it's just a dream.
Because it's just a dream.
…
It's on the eve of the second anniversary of his father's death that Robert starts questioning his sanity and the reality of the world he lives into.
It's also the day his new company, Pinwheel PCL, makes it to the stock market for the first time.
He's in L.A, of all places, having another of those incredibly boring meetings with the stockholders; all pats in the back and congratulations all around for their insight trusting him and their success making it to the stock market.
That's when he sees the man that shouldn't exist outside his dreams.
Robert doesn't realize he has stopped talking; he has even stopped breathing as his eyes follow the progress of a man wearing Mr. Charles' face down the street. He's seen that face enough times to know it by heart, from the exact pale shade of his hair to every single wrinkle around his eyes. Robert knows the body under the grey suit like he knows the back of his hand, has mapped every feature with fingertips and tongue in his dreams. They are a perfect match of that stranger walking hand in hand with two small children and bestowing smiles Robert didn't know those lips could curl into.
For an embarrassing second Robert loses track of reality, a shout stuck on the back of his throat. Then the man is gone, swallowed up by the crowd of people walking down the street, and Robert feels the need to pinch his own hand to assess the reality of the situation.
It doesn't reassure him of anything.
He knows enough to be aware that even in his dream he would feel the pinch.
…
Mr. Charles isn't always gentle with Robert, but he always gives him what he needs.
Some days, when he wakes up, Robert looks at his body expecting to see marks and bruises, moves gingerly almost hoping to feel sore. He knows it's just a dream, but sometimes Robert really wishes for the marks to be there, to tell him Mr. Charles is more than just a creation of his subconscious.
It isn't about the sex; Robert is not naïve enough to believe that. The sex is great, it has to be. It is, after all, a dream. No man would be so stupid as to have bad sex when dreaming.
The real issue for Robert is the trust. He feels like he can trust the Mr. Charles in his dream in a way he has been unable to trust anyone since his father died. Robert remembers a time when he could trust Uncle Pete.
Not anymore. Not since his father's death.
…
Robert is perfectly aware he has issues.
It's not even that difficult to realize when the most meaningful relationship he has had in almost three years has been with a figment of his imagination. He knows he's obsessed with the need to make a name for himself, to make his company grow and grow and turn it into an empire to rival his father's.
He's tried for normal, though. He's tried meeting with society girls, the kind Uncle Pete introduces him to as perfect candidates for his attention. They never are what Robert wants or needs, but he still makes the effort for his uncle's sake and for the sake of his company.
He's also tried going out with the kind of girl his uncle disapproves of out loud but meets in the privacy of high class hotels and expensive apartments. They also fail to keep his interest or so much as arouse him.
A couple of times he's even tried with men. Attractive, young and impressionable men who allow Robert to take the lead and promise to keep their mouths shut. For a fee.
They are always blond, blue eyed and terribly inadequate; he just doesn't know how much until he meets the man of his dreams in the flesh.
Robert was tempted to give the party a pass, would have were it not for the insistence of Uncle Pete and the promise that he would be introduced to a potential investor in there.
The investor turns out to be Saito Hayato, owner of one of the biggest energy companies in the world and one of his father's old rivals in the business. As it turned out, he was the person who benefited the most out of Robert splitting up his father's empire.
Robert is surprised at the feeling of instant affinity he gets from Saito, the impression that he's talking to a man experienced beyond his years and with a share of secrets which would make Robert's pale in comparison. He doesn't know why, but he immediately likes him.
Saito treats him with the respect he's learned to expect from business associates but with none of the condescension Robert receives when he talks about his vision, his dream of building something for himself.
"I think I might be able to relate to that," Saitou says, his voice and accent tinged with familiarity and what Robert imagines could be a measure of sadness. "And I believe I may be able to help you in your future venture."
There is a future venture, that's the entire point of that farce of a party. Robert's company is doing well enough for one so new, but he's been itching to expand it since it took off.
Robert explains his plan to Saito, knowing that with the backing of some such as this man his success is guaranteed. Saito asks the right questions and smiles at some of the answers and Robert wonders again if he might not be dreaming. Things never come so easily to him when he's awake.
"With the right investments," Robert is saying, "we could have a growth of 30% in two years, 50% by four."
"I'd say 30% in three years, 50% by five," Saitou corrects him softly, with no condescension at all. "But that estimation is good enough for me. It feels like a solid investment. It will be a pleasure to do business with you."
Robert feels like it's too easy but there is nothing to assure him it's real, nothing to anchor him to reality. He just settles for asking the question in his mind.
"You were my father's rival," he says, studying Saito's eyes for a reaction, "but you want to be my backer. I don't fully understand it."
Saito smiles knowingly, his eyes downcast and filled with that same sadness Robert has thought he recognized in his voice before.
"Let's just say I owe you," Saito finally answers, though it wasn't actually phrased as a question. "When you chose not to follow your father's footsteps," and there is something in the way he says chose, as if the very word is questionable, "you did my company a big favour. I'm replaying it by helping you build your own."
…
In his dreams, Mr. Charles is a man of few words. He doesn't need them, though.
Robert's got used to just talking, mostly not receiving an answer except for the physical contact. He's talking to his subconscious so it's not a big deal if Mr. Charles doesn't have anything to say.
…
It's Saito the one who introduces Robert to the real Mr. Charles.
In the few months he's been doing business with Saito, Robert has come to trust the man more than he has anticipated trusting anyone in the real world. There is something about Saito that makes it very easy for Robert to confide in him, as if they've gone through a lot together, though he knows this is not true.
As if Saito has been there at some important moment of his life.
Saito indulges him in this fantasy, treating Robert like his own man, not a shadow of his father. Most of his associates are beginning to do so, slowly but surely, but Saito was the first one to treat him as Robert, not Fisher Jr.
Their joint venue is also taking shape faster than Robert's most optimistic estimations led him to believe. He sees that Saito was right that first night, he also sees that without Saito his own estimations would have been far off the mark.
"I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine," Saito says during one of the frequent dinners they have together when he's in the States. "At the rate the business is developing you'll need new offices shortly. I think building your own will show the investors the right kind of confidence in your own success."
Robert considers it for a moment, knowing Saito is right but not entirely sure it's the appropriate time for it. Saito is used to doing things his way, maybe too aggressive for Robert's still small company.
The hesitation must have shown in his face, Saito smiling lightly, the way his father never did in his life. "I apologize if it's too rushed, you don't need to decide now."
Robert shakes his head, a rueful smile adorning his lips. "No need to, you're right. Just arrange a meeting with your friend and we'll discuss things afterwards."
He thinks about it after all happens, and he realizes maybe he has been kidding himself all the time.
Maybe everything's working so well because it only exists in his head.
Saito is already at the restaurant when Robert arrives, and he's with a man whose face Robert can't see. They are talking animatedly, Saito looking at him with an open expression Robert has rarely seen on his face. Whatever it is that has them so immersed in the conversation, it's clearly personal.
The first thing that catches Robert's attention is the man's hair, is pale blonde, the shade almost exactly the same as the Mr. Charles in his head, perhaps slightly lighter. It's startling to notice he's comparing that man he has not yet met to the man in his head, and Robert berates himself for his foolishness.
He needs to stop looking for Mr. Charles in the real world or he will drive himself mad.
"Ah, Robert!" Saito calls when he sees him entering and stands up, extending his hand towards Robert. They shake hands warmly, Saito turning to the other man with a smile. "This is the friend I told you about, Dominic Cobb. He's an architect and his designs--"
Saito keeps talking but Robert is not listening anymore. The man, Dominic Cobb, has turned to him and is standing up to greet him. Robert knows he's being rude, not taking the proffered hand and just staring at him, his mouth almost gaping open. It's only thanks to many years of meetings with associates that Robert's body is able to react with barely a second's hesitation, muscle memory taking over his brain.
He hopes his reaction hasn't been too obvious to Saito, though by the look he and Cobb exchange it's painfully evident they have noticed the change in Robert.
It's not like he can't help it. There, standing in front of him, is Mr. Charles. It makes it very hard for Robert to decide whether he's dreaming or not, since up to that point he has only seen that face when he's deep asleep. And it is Mr. Charles' face, from the slicked back blonde hair to the clear blue eyes, the fair facial hair and the three creases on his forehead. There are a few more wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, and the skin is slightly darker, as if the man in reality has spent time under the sun, smiling freely.
But it is him, Robert has no doubt about it.
The rest of the night is a blur of confused thoughts, too much alcohol and awkward conversations, and Robert is too stunned and drunk to care about it.
…
In hindsight Robert should have stopped drinking before he passed out.
The first thing he realizes is that his head is pounding, and there are voices around him. Robert doesn't open his eyes, knows he can't risk the light, no matter how bright or dim, drilling into his brain at that precise point in time.
He has vague memories of the evening, and if it wasn't for the pounding headache and the feeling that something unpleasant died in his mouth, he'd question whether he's dreaming or not. He must be awake because feeling like this in a dream is too much torture, and in spite of everything he's never been a masochist.
The voices are talking low and fast at a short distance, and Robert can tell by their tone the conversation is deadly serious. Saito sounds upset and a bit angry and the other, Cobb Robert realizes, even more so.
"No, we don't know what we left there that time, Saito. We were lucky to come off it unscathed, it was very close if you care to remember."
"He called you Mr. Charles, Cobb," Saito's voice drops even lower, so much that Robert has to strain to hear it. The words almost make him flinch, but he forces himself to remain still because wants to hear, wants that more than anything else. "He wasn't supposed to remember anything."
Robert startles at that, the implications too heavy to even consider at that time. Something is going on, and he's sure he's not going to like it.
"No he wasn't, but he had training and his subconscious probably retains more than we anticipated. Care to make another trip in and find out?" the sarcasm dripping out of Cobb's voice is obvious, but the words are what give Robert pause. Another trip in, meaning there has been a previous one.
"There will be no more poking inside his head, Cobb," Saito says with finality and an odd tinge of protectiveness. "We almost lost him."
There is a pause, the air thick and charged with unspoken things. Robert is feeling uncomfortable just being there, and needs to control his breathing not to reveal he's already awake.
"We almost lost ourselves, Saito." Cobb's voice is soft and sad and old beyond its years. "And what you're doing now won't make up for what we did then."
"We knew the risks and took them, he didn't. I spent forty years in limbo waiting for you; it gives a man the time to think about the morality of his actions, even if most of the time I couldn't remember the half of it." Saito sounds tired and also too old for the man Robert knows and has leaned to care for. He knows he should be angry, demanding answers about what they did to him but he wants to know what else they have to say. "It was necessary at the time, but the price might have been too high. I didn't know then."
"Don't make it sound as if we did it out of the goodness of our hearts or for Fisher's benefit," Cobb hisses, "you became richer because of it. You did it for the money and I did it for my family. And when I went after him and after you it wasn't because I worried for your sanity."
Saito laughs wryly. "I was already rich beyond your imagination, Cobb. I'm not the kind of man who needs to see his fortune increasing just because he likes money. And I know why you did it and I don't resent that. It doesn't mean I can't make reparations."
"Is that what you're doing now? Giving back what you took from Fisher?"
There is a long silence after that and Robert is almost afraid that there isn't going to be a response. He doesn't know what frightens him more, that there is one or that there isn't. He's trusted Saito more than anyone in a long time and learning there is a hidden agenda behind his support and friendship is more that he can stand.
"After a fashion," Saito finally says, and Robert's blood freezes in his veins. "But it's more that I'm helping him become the man he was always supposed to be."
"And if that man happens to be Maurice Fisher?" Cobb voices Robert's worst fear as if it's a foregone conclusion, and it's too much after everything he has learned. He has a hangover and way too many thoughts swirling in his head, and he's not even certain this is not another of those incredibly vivid dreams.
Robert wishes for it to be a dream, he'd rather it all is in his head than face the possibility of betrayal from the only person he trusts nowadays.
"Then so be it," Saito's voice is firmer now, calmer, and Robert can almost hear the soft smile in it. "But he won't."
…
"You are Dominic Cobb."
Mr. Charles is looking at him steadily, his expression bland and composed. He doesn't betray any emotion, not like the real Cobb would were he confronted by Robert. He doesn't know Cobb that much, but he knows he would.
"Does it make a difference?" Cobb finally said, advancing towards Robert, his intentions clear in his predatory gait.
Robert thinks about it for a second. Does it?
Not here. Not now. Not in his dreams.
…
Robert thinks about it long and hard. He doesn't say anything to Saito, apologizing profusely the morning after the disastrous dinner for getting drunk and ruining the evening. He doesn't comment on the conversation he heard, doesn't let on that he knows.
Robert just tells Saito to apologize to his friend, and that he will contact him again when he's composed enough to be able to face them both without dying of embarrassment. Saito just laughs at that and indulges him in a way Robert wishes his father had done, even just once.
He goes home to L.A and sits in his balcony, staring at the waves crashing against the shore while his mind goes over the same things again and again. Mr. Charles is Dominic Cobb, which means Cobb is not just an architect. A quick research confirmed that while Cobb is an architect, his name is more known in certain other circles as an Extractor. The best one. At least before he retired a few years ago to dedicate all his time to design buildings and raise his kids.
It also means he has already been inside Robert's head, because there is no way Robert would have created a projection like Mr. Charles all by himself. His father always complained he didn't have enough imagination, and in that he was right.
Saito has also been inside his mind, and Robert shudders to think what he might have seen there.
It makes him feel strangely vulnerable the idea that Saito, of all people, has been trampling around his mind. It also makes him wonder what exactly Saito was doing there, rich businessmen are not known for searching secrets inside people's minds. They pay for it to be done.
He's not naïve, he received training about mind security--or Cobb's deception would have been discovered immediately--a long time ago. They probably wanted to take some information from his mind, and they probably succeeded. What that information was Robert doesn't know, but it's not much of a stretch to assume it had something to do with his father's company.
But his father's company is no more, and Saito is helping him build his own from the ground.
Whatever information they took from his mind is not valuable anymore, and he knows Maurice used to be ruthless with his competitors. There is a reason Maurice knew enough about mind security to send Robert for training, and most probably use it himself.
What he needs to think about, Robert reflects as he watches the sun setting in the horizon, creating purple shadows all the way to his house, is how he feels about Saito and Cobb being in his head. And leaving Mr. Charles behind.
He knows the logical reaction would be to feel hurt, betrayed and angry. And he might have, before his father's death. Before he got to know Saito.
Before Mr. Charles. Or Dominic Cobb, as he actually is.
Robert knows how ruthless the business is, and to what lengths some of the players of the game can go. Saito is one of the best players, as Maurice was, as Robert one day aspires to be. The invasion of his privacy and the theft of his secrets concern him less than the question of Saito's motivation. For his past actions as well as his present ones.
He talked about reparation, about taking too great a risk with Robert and his own mind. He talked about limbo, and from what Robert knows of that place, Saito is fortunate to be able to talk about anything at all.
It's Saito's final words what really makes it hard for Robert to hate them, it's Saito's faith that he won't become Maurice.
In the end it's Robert's choice whether to trust them again or not.
…
"Dominic."
The name tastes right in Robert's mouth, and Cobb approaches him slowly, his eyes intent in Robert's.
"You're ready to forgive them, then," Cobb says, leaning forwards and practically breathing the words inside Robert's mouth.
Robert closes the distance, taking that mouth with the taste he has only ever imagined, and for the first time in his dreams, taking the initiative. The taste is not right and he knows this, the actions are not right.
But for now it's enough.
"Yes," he hisses against Cobb's lips as he pushes him down on the bed, climbing over his prone body and mapping it with lips and fingertips.
This is going to be the last time and he wants the memory to last.
The next time everything will be real. Everything will be right.
But for now this is enough.
…
The man in Robert Fisher's dreams has a name. His name is Dominic Cobb.
He's real.
And Robert wants more than just a dream lover.
He wants the real thing.
And he's going to have it.
…
Pairing: Dominic Cobb (Mr. Charles)/Robert Fisher, Saito
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst, Introspection
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Inception belongs to Christopher Nolan
Word Count: ~4.200
Summary: The man in Robert Fisher's dreams doesn't have a first name, doesn't really have a name at all. He's not real.
Author Notes: so yes, Inception has taken over my brain, I could never resist a new fandom.
The inability to open up to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams.
- Elizabeth Gilbert
Blighted Dreams
The man in Robert Fisher's dreams doesn't have a first name, doesn't really have a name at all.
He's not real.
He is to Robert, though.
…
After the death of his father Robert has been having trouble sleeping, too many thoughts crowding his mind for him to relax and fall into any kind of slumber. He has a plan, but he needs time and money to put it into motion.
The money is not a problem; he has more than enough of it. Will have more than he can possibly spend in a lifetime after he splits his father's empire and sells the parts to whoever wants to buy them.
Robert doesn't intend to touch it, though. He has already planned which charities will benefit from his father's genius. He's not a martyr nor is he doing it for the greater good or to try and help humanity, Robert has earned enough to start his own business and has the experience and knowledge to make it as successful as his father's was.
It would all be worthless if he did otherwise.
Uncle Pete has tried to tell him it's a bad idea, that it's not what his father would have wanted, but all that is meaningless to Robert. It's not that he doesn't trust his Uncle but he wasn't there, he can't possibly know how Robert feels.
It's after one of those endless meetings with his uncle, almost a month after his father's death, that Robert finally falls deep asleep due to exhaustion. He hasn't noticed before the fact that he wasn't sleeping, and it's not until he is in the dream, confronted by a half remembered figure, that he realizes.
The man is attractive and exudes a powerful aura of confidence, his deep blue eyes clear and straightforward. Robert can't remember what they talked about in the dream when he wakes up, can't even remember what the dream was about, but he remembers the man.
He wakes up with a sudden feeling of longing and thinking about paper pinwheels.
He's even more determined than before to create his own empire.
…
Mr. Charles, that’s the name of the man.
In his dreams Robert doesn't need to fight against his attraction to him, not like he has been fighting his attraction to other men his entire life.
In his dreams Robert smiles up to him and lets himself melt under his body.
In his dreams Robert always knows he's dreaming because Mr. Charles is in them.
…
Building an empire from scratch is harder than Robert would have ever imagined, even with the help and expertise of Uncle Pete. It makes him feel closer to his father though, knowing Maurice had to go through the same things he's going through now, had to face the same obstacles and fight the same lost battles.
It's also very tiring. Meetings all day long, trying to convince people too attached to their money that his dream, his vision, is something worth putting it in. That he, in spite of not being his father, is worth investing in.
In the six months he's been working on his project Robert still has nothing solid to show for his efforts, but the seed is there, slowly taking root and growing.
He's not Maurice, that's something Robert has always been painfully conscious of.
Now he's not trying to, Robert believes he might be different, but not worse. Never less than what Maurice was.
Maybe even a bit more.
…
In his dreams Mr. Charles is always calm and collected, always in control.
Robert relishes the loss of control when he's with Mr. Charles, relishes the ability to let go and just feel.
Even if it's just a dream.
Because it's just a dream.
…
It's on the eve of the second anniversary of his father's death that Robert starts questioning his sanity and the reality of the world he lives into.
It's also the day his new company, Pinwheel PCL, makes it to the stock market for the first time.
He's in L.A, of all places, having another of those incredibly boring meetings with the stockholders; all pats in the back and congratulations all around for their insight trusting him and their success making it to the stock market.
That's when he sees the man that shouldn't exist outside his dreams.
Robert doesn't realize he has stopped talking; he has even stopped breathing as his eyes follow the progress of a man wearing Mr. Charles' face down the street. He's seen that face enough times to know it by heart, from the exact pale shade of his hair to every single wrinkle around his eyes. Robert knows the body under the grey suit like he knows the back of his hand, has mapped every feature with fingertips and tongue in his dreams. They are a perfect match of that stranger walking hand in hand with two small children and bestowing smiles Robert didn't know those lips could curl into.
For an embarrassing second Robert loses track of reality, a shout stuck on the back of his throat. Then the man is gone, swallowed up by the crowd of people walking down the street, and Robert feels the need to pinch his own hand to assess the reality of the situation.
It doesn't reassure him of anything.
He knows enough to be aware that even in his dream he would feel the pinch.
…
Mr. Charles isn't always gentle with Robert, but he always gives him what he needs.
Some days, when he wakes up, Robert looks at his body expecting to see marks and bruises, moves gingerly almost hoping to feel sore. He knows it's just a dream, but sometimes Robert really wishes for the marks to be there, to tell him Mr. Charles is more than just a creation of his subconscious.
It isn't about the sex; Robert is not naïve enough to believe that. The sex is great, it has to be. It is, after all, a dream. No man would be so stupid as to have bad sex when dreaming.
The real issue for Robert is the trust. He feels like he can trust the Mr. Charles in his dream in a way he has been unable to trust anyone since his father died. Robert remembers a time when he could trust Uncle Pete.
Not anymore. Not since his father's death.
…
Robert is perfectly aware he has issues.
It's not even that difficult to realize when the most meaningful relationship he has had in almost three years has been with a figment of his imagination. He knows he's obsessed with the need to make a name for himself, to make his company grow and grow and turn it into an empire to rival his father's.
He's tried for normal, though. He's tried meeting with society girls, the kind Uncle Pete introduces him to as perfect candidates for his attention. They never are what Robert wants or needs, but he still makes the effort for his uncle's sake and for the sake of his company.
He's also tried going out with the kind of girl his uncle disapproves of out loud but meets in the privacy of high class hotels and expensive apartments. They also fail to keep his interest or so much as arouse him.
A couple of times he's even tried with men. Attractive, young and impressionable men who allow Robert to take the lead and promise to keep their mouths shut. For a fee.
They are always blond, blue eyed and terribly inadequate; he just doesn't know how much until he meets the man of his dreams in the flesh.
Robert was tempted to give the party a pass, would have were it not for the insistence of Uncle Pete and the promise that he would be introduced to a potential investor in there.
The investor turns out to be Saito Hayato, owner of one of the biggest energy companies in the world and one of his father's old rivals in the business. As it turned out, he was the person who benefited the most out of Robert splitting up his father's empire.
Robert is surprised at the feeling of instant affinity he gets from Saito, the impression that he's talking to a man experienced beyond his years and with a share of secrets which would make Robert's pale in comparison. He doesn't know why, but he immediately likes him.
Saito treats him with the respect he's learned to expect from business associates but with none of the condescension Robert receives when he talks about his vision, his dream of building something for himself.
"I think I might be able to relate to that," Saitou says, his voice and accent tinged with familiarity and what Robert imagines could be a measure of sadness. "And I believe I may be able to help you in your future venture."
There is a future venture, that's the entire point of that farce of a party. Robert's company is doing well enough for one so new, but he's been itching to expand it since it took off.
Robert explains his plan to Saito, knowing that with the backing of some such as this man his success is guaranteed. Saito asks the right questions and smiles at some of the answers and Robert wonders again if he might not be dreaming. Things never come so easily to him when he's awake.
"With the right investments," Robert is saying, "we could have a growth of 30% in two years, 50% by four."
"I'd say 30% in three years, 50% by five," Saitou corrects him softly, with no condescension at all. "But that estimation is good enough for me. It feels like a solid investment. It will be a pleasure to do business with you."
Robert feels like it's too easy but there is nothing to assure him it's real, nothing to anchor him to reality. He just settles for asking the question in his mind.
"You were my father's rival," he says, studying Saito's eyes for a reaction, "but you want to be my backer. I don't fully understand it."
Saito smiles knowingly, his eyes downcast and filled with that same sadness Robert has thought he recognized in his voice before.
"Let's just say I owe you," Saito finally answers, though it wasn't actually phrased as a question. "When you chose not to follow your father's footsteps," and there is something in the way he says chose, as if the very word is questionable, "you did my company a big favour. I'm replaying it by helping you build your own."
…
In his dreams, Mr. Charles is a man of few words. He doesn't need them, though.
Robert's got used to just talking, mostly not receiving an answer except for the physical contact. He's talking to his subconscious so it's not a big deal if Mr. Charles doesn't have anything to say.
…
It's Saito the one who introduces Robert to the real Mr. Charles.
In the few months he's been doing business with Saito, Robert has come to trust the man more than he has anticipated trusting anyone in the real world. There is something about Saito that makes it very easy for Robert to confide in him, as if they've gone through a lot together, though he knows this is not true.
As if Saito has been there at some important moment of his life.
Saito indulges him in this fantasy, treating Robert like his own man, not a shadow of his father. Most of his associates are beginning to do so, slowly but surely, but Saito was the first one to treat him as Robert, not Fisher Jr.
Their joint venue is also taking shape faster than Robert's most optimistic estimations led him to believe. He sees that Saito was right that first night, he also sees that without Saito his own estimations would have been far off the mark.
"I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine," Saito says during one of the frequent dinners they have together when he's in the States. "At the rate the business is developing you'll need new offices shortly. I think building your own will show the investors the right kind of confidence in your own success."
Robert considers it for a moment, knowing Saito is right but not entirely sure it's the appropriate time for it. Saito is used to doing things his way, maybe too aggressive for Robert's still small company.
The hesitation must have shown in his face, Saito smiling lightly, the way his father never did in his life. "I apologize if it's too rushed, you don't need to decide now."
Robert shakes his head, a rueful smile adorning his lips. "No need to, you're right. Just arrange a meeting with your friend and we'll discuss things afterwards."
He thinks about it after all happens, and he realizes maybe he has been kidding himself all the time.
Maybe everything's working so well because it only exists in his head.
Saito is already at the restaurant when Robert arrives, and he's with a man whose face Robert can't see. They are talking animatedly, Saito looking at him with an open expression Robert has rarely seen on his face. Whatever it is that has them so immersed in the conversation, it's clearly personal.
The first thing that catches Robert's attention is the man's hair, is pale blonde, the shade almost exactly the same as the Mr. Charles in his head, perhaps slightly lighter. It's startling to notice he's comparing that man he has not yet met to the man in his head, and Robert berates himself for his foolishness.
He needs to stop looking for Mr. Charles in the real world or he will drive himself mad.
"Ah, Robert!" Saito calls when he sees him entering and stands up, extending his hand towards Robert. They shake hands warmly, Saito turning to the other man with a smile. "This is the friend I told you about, Dominic Cobb. He's an architect and his designs--"
Saito keeps talking but Robert is not listening anymore. The man, Dominic Cobb, has turned to him and is standing up to greet him. Robert knows he's being rude, not taking the proffered hand and just staring at him, his mouth almost gaping open. It's only thanks to many years of meetings with associates that Robert's body is able to react with barely a second's hesitation, muscle memory taking over his brain.
He hopes his reaction hasn't been too obvious to Saito, though by the look he and Cobb exchange it's painfully evident they have noticed the change in Robert.
It's not like he can't help it. There, standing in front of him, is Mr. Charles. It makes it very hard for Robert to decide whether he's dreaming or not, since up to that point he has only seen that face when he's deep asleep. And it is Mr. Charles' face, from the slicked back blonde hair to the clear blue eyes, the fair facial hair and the three creases on his forehead. There are a few more wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, and the skin is slightly darker, as if the man in reality has spent time under the sun, smiling freely.
But it is him, Robert has no doubt about it.
The rest of the night is a blur of confused thoughts, too much alcohol and awkward conversations, and Robert is too stunned and drunk to care about it.
…
In hindsight Robert should have stopped drinking before he passed out.
The first thing he realizes is that his head is pounding, and there are voices around him. Robert doesn't open his eyes, knows he can't risk the light, no matter how bright or dim, drilling into his brain at that precise point in time.
He has vague memories of the evening, and if it wasn't for the pounding headache and the feeling that something unpleasant died in his mouth, he'd question whether he's dreaming or not. He must be awake because feeling like this in a dream is too much torture, and in spite of everything he's never been a masochist.
The voices are talking low and fast at a short distance, and Robert can tell by their tone the conversation is deadly serious. Saito sounds upset and a bit angry and the other, Cobb Robert realizes, even more so.
"No, we don't know what we left there that time, Saito. We were lucky to come off it unscathed, it was very close if you care to remember."
"He called you Mr. Charles, Cobb," Saito's voice drops even lower, so much that Robert has to strain to hear it. The words almost make him flinch, but he forces himself to remain still because wants to hear, wants that more than anything else. "He wasn't supposed to remember anything."
Robert startles at that, the implications too heavy to even consider at that time. Something is going on, and he's sure he's not going to like it.
"No he wasn't, but he had training and his subconscious probably retains more than we anticipated. Care to make another trip in and find out?" the sarcasm dripping out of Cobb's voice is obvious, but the words are what give Robert pause. Another trip in, meaning there has been a previous one.
"There will be no more poking inside his head, Cobb," Saito says with finality and an odd tinge of protectiveness. "We almost lost him."
There is a pause, the air thick and charged with unspoken things. Robert is feeling uncomfortable just being there, and needs to control his breathing not to reveal he's already awake.
"We almost lost ourselves, Saito." Cobb's voice is soft and sad and old beyond its years. "And what you're doing now won't make up for what we did then."
"We knew the risks and took them, he didn't. I spent forty years in limbo waiting for you; it gives a man the time to think about the morality of his actions, even if most of the time I couldn't remember the half of it." Saito sounds tired and also too old for the man Robert knows and has leaned to care for. He knows he should be angry, demanding answers about what they did to him but he wants to know what else they have to say. "It was necessary at the time, but the price might have been too high. I didn't know then."
"Don't make it sound as if we did it out of the goodness of our hearts or for Fisher's benefit," Cobb hisses, "you became richer because of it. You did it for the money and I did it for my family. And when I went after him and after you it wasn't because I worried for your sanity."
Saito laughs wryly. "I was already rich beyond your imagination, Cobb. I'm not the kind of man who needs to see his fortune increasing just because he likes money. And I know why you did it and I don't resent that. It doesn't mean I can't make reparations."
"Is that what you're doing now? Giving back what you took from Fisher?"
There is a long silence after that and Robert is almost afraid that there isn't going to be a response. He doesn't know what frightens him more, that there is one or that there isn't. He's trusted Saito more than anyone in a long time and learning there is a hidden agenda behind his support and friendship is more that he can stand.
"After a fashion," Saito finally says, and Robert's blood freezes in his veins. "But it's more that I'm helping him become the man he was always supposed to be."
"And if that man happens to be Maurice Fisher?" Cobb voices Robert's worst fear as if it's a foregone conclusion, and it's too much after everything he has learned. He has a hangover and way too many thoughts swirling in his head, and he's not even certain this is not another of those incredibly vivid dreams.
Robert wishes for it to be a dream, he'd rather it all is in his head than face the possibility of betrayal from the only person he trusts nowadays.
"Then so be it," Saito's voice is firmer now, calmer, and Robert can almost hear the soft smile in it. "But he won't."
…
"You are Dominic Cobb."
Mr. Charles is looking at him steadily, his expression bland and composed. He doesn't betray any emotion, not like the real Cobb would were he confronted by Robert. He doesn't know Cobb that much, but he knows he would.
"Does it make a difference?" Cobb finally said, advancing towards Robert, his intentions clear in his predatory gait.
Robert thinks about it for a second. Does it?
Not here. Not now. Not in his dreams.
…
Robert thinks about it long and hard. He doesn't say anything to Saito, apologizing profusely the morning after the disastrous dinner for getting drunk and ruining the evening. He doesn't comment on the conversation he heard, doesn't let on that he knows.
Robert just tells Saito to apologize to his friend, and that he will contact him again when he's composed enough to be able to face them both without dying of embarrassment. Saito just laughs at that and indulges him in a way Robert wishes his father had done, even just once.
He goes home to L.A and sits in his balcony, staring at the waves crashing against the shore while his mind goes over the same things again and again. Mr. Charles is Dominic Cobb, which means Cobb is not just an architect. A quick research confirmed that while Cobb is an architect, his name is more known in certain other circles as an Extractor. The best one. At least before he retired a few years ago to dedicate all his time to design buildings and raise his kids.
It also means he has already been inside Robert's head, because there is no way Robert would have created a projection like Mr. Charles all by himself. His father always complained he didn't have enough imagination, and in that he was right.
Saito has also been inside his mind, and Robert shudders to think what he might have seen there.
It makes him feel strangely vulnerable the idea that Saito, of all people, has been trampling around his mind. It also makes him wonder what exactly Saito was doing there, rich businessmen are not known for searching secrets inside people's minds. They pay for it to be done.
He's not naïve, he received training about mind security--or Cobb's deception would have been discovered immediately--a long time ago. They probably wanted to take some information from his mind, and they probably succeeded. What that information was Robert doesn't know, but it's not much of a stretch to assume it had something to do with his father's company.
But his father's company is no more, and Saito is helping him build his own from the ground.
Whatever information they took from his mind is not valuable anymore, and he knows Maurice used to be ruthless with his competitors. There is a reason Maurice knew enough about mind security to send Robert for training, and most probably use it himself.
What he needs to think about, Robert reflects as he watches the sun setting in the horizon, creating purple shadows all the way to his house, is how he feels about Saito and Cobb being in his head. And leaving Mr. Charles behind.
He knows the logical reaction would be to feel hurt, betrayed and angry. And he might have, before his father's death. Before he got to know Saito.
Before Mr. Charles. Or Dominic Cobb, as he actually is.
Robert knows how ruthless the business is, and to what lengths some of the players of the game can go. Saito is one of the best players, as Maurice was, as Robert one day aspires to be. The invasion of his privacy and the theft of his secrets concern him less than the question of Saito's motivation. For his past actions as well as his present ones.
He talked about reparation, about taking too great a risk with Robert and his own mind. He talked about limbo, and from what Robert knows of that place, Saito is fortunate to be able to talk about anything at all.
It's Saito's final words what really makes it hard for Robert to hate them, it's Saito's faith that he won't become Maurice.
In the end it's Robert's choice whether to trust them again or not.
…
"Dominic."
The name tastes right in Robert's mouth, and Cobb approaches him slowly, his eyes intent in Robert's.
"You're ready to forgive them, then," Cobb says, leaning forwards and practically breathing the words inside Robert's mouth.
Robert closes the distance, taking that mouth with the taste he has only ever imagined, and for the first time in his dreams, taking the initiative. The taste is not right and he knows this, the actions are not right.
But for now it's enough.
"Yes," he hisses against Cobb's lips as he pushes him down on the bed, climbing over his prone body and mapping it with lips and fingertips.
This is going to be the last time and he wants the memory to last.
The next time everything will be real. Everything will be right.
But for now this is enough.
…
The man in Robert Fisher's dreams has a name. His name is Dominic Cobb.
He's real.
And Robert wants more than just a dream lover.
He wants the real thing.
And he's going to have it.
…