Fic: Of Family, Favours and Dreams Interlude
Interlude
The door opened with a creak, its user clearly not concerned with stealth. Arthur tensed slightly at the noise but didn't bother looking up from his work. If it was someone to be concerned about they'd definitely be trying to be quieter. As it was, he figured it was probably just Cobb, coming to check up on how the research was going. He'd been doing that more and more as the week had gone on, anxiety at their lack of progress bringing out the micro-manager in him.
Arthur sighed at having to deal with yet another interruption, “Come back in an hour Dom, I'll have those files for you.” He turned around as he spoke, trailing off at the end to find it was Eames, not Cobb, standing directly behind him, so close he could hear him breathing, smell the scent of his aftershave.
“Eames, wha ...” he barely had time to open his mouth before his words were quickly swallowed by the forger’s mouth as he leaned in to kiss him.
The heat enveloped him, drawing him in, until all his attention was focused on a single point, a single person. He'd never thought a single kiss could have this sort of effect on him until he'd met Eames. Then again he'd never quite believed a lot of things until he'd met Eames; he supposed that was what being in love did for you.
Eventually, regretfully he pulled back, catching his breath. He could feel his mouth twitching into a grin and for once he couldn't be bothered to stop it.
“What was that for?” He asked after a moment, leaning back against the desk to get a bit of distance, a bit of perspective.
“I missed you, of course.” The forger gave him an affectionate smile, before leaning in to press another quick kiss on his lips.
“We saw each other last week,” Arthur reminded him once he'd pulled back. One of the few perks of being out on the East Coast, away from the rest of the Family. Being able to see him regularly-- in a way he hadn't been able to since they'd been caught, since they got reminded just how dangerous their liaison really was-- was not something he took from granted.
Eames smiled at him innocently, “I can hardly help it if I find you irresistible, can I?” As he spoke he tried to lean in for yet another kiss, which Arthur deftly avoided this time ducking out from where the larger man had him pressed against the desk. Because frankly, if they continued like this there were in significant danger of having sex in the study, and that was something Arthur would rather avoid if he at all could.
Arthur smiled coyly at him as he did so, dimples showing, “Is that your idea of wooing me? Because, if so, it leaves a lot to be desired”
“Oh, I think we're pretty well past that stage, don't you?” Eames had taken up Arthur's previous position, leaning casually up against the desk.
The sight of him was intoxicating, and he was more than aware that if the two of them didn't relocate to somewhere with a bed soon, then they would end up doing something that his back, not to mention other muscles in his body, would regret.
“Come up to my room in five minutes and I'll show you just how far past that stage we are.” Arthur suggested with a seductive smirk, heading towards the door, not even waiting for the forgers reply. After all, the expression of pure desire on Eames' face was really the only answer he needed.
++++
Eames stretched lazily in the bed, sated and relaxed. He could happily just curl up and go to sleep, except he couldn't, because it wasn't his bed. It belonged to the man currently standing by the window, looking out over the moonlit garden behind the house as if it contained the answer to all life's problems.
He watched his partner for a few moments, eyes tracing the sculpted planes of his muscles and the thin scars criss-crossing his body, mapping out the story of his life. The forger could guess what Arthur was contemplating; it was the same thought that had been playing on his own mind since this job began. The inevitable future that once this was over he'd have to go back east, back to the Family and their stifling rules and watchful eyes.
It was selfish, he knew, but Eames didn't want to let him go, let go of this relative freedom they'd had together this past year. “Stay with me,” he blurted out, the words escaping without permission a bare hint of pleading in his voice. He wasn't too proud to beg, not for this.
Arthur tensed at the words, “I can't,” he replied, not turning round, not even looking at Eames, his voice holding a resigned finality.
“I'm serious, don't go back east with Cobb and stay here instead. With me” He added, in case Arthur hadn't quite understood the point the first time.
“You know I can't leave the family like that,” Arthur didn't need to turn around for Eames to know a frown was forming on his face, anger starting to seep into his voice, at the situation, at Eames maybe, at the world in general. “I can't betray them after all they've done for me.”
“Oh yes, lots they've done for you, gotten you shot, stabbed and beaten up, half the time by their own hands and for what? You'll never be one of them, you said so yourself.” Eames could hear his voice rising as he spoke and made a concerted effort to get his temper under control. Shouting would only made Arthur dig in his heals harder, not to mention alert the rest of the household to their argument.
“Miles took me off the streets and gave me a home.” Arthur insisted, finally turning around to look the forger in the eyes, “Who knows what I would have ended up as if it wasn't for him.”
“Don't you think you've paid him back in full already? All the years you've give to him, your whole life.” Eames took a deep breath to get his voice under control. Loyalty had always been one of Arthur's more endearing traits, and one of his most frustrating. “You deserve a bit of happiness, darling, live your life for yourself for once.” Eames couldn't help the note of sadness filter into his voice, that Arthur would so willingly shackle himself when he could run free instead.
The other man snorted bitterly, “And do what? How long do you think it will be until the family tracks me down? Tracks both of us down?”
“Then we run away, elope to strange and exotic places. I hear South American is lovely this time of year, or maybe Africa. I know some people in Mombassa who could hook us up.”
“I...” Arthur hesitated, the last of the arguments dying on his lips. “This is stupid, we'll probably all be dead in a couple of weeks.”
Eames smiled slightly, accepting the final words were probably as closest to any sort of agreement as he was likely to get.