Cobb's Catchphrase of the Week - Inception - PG
Title: Cobb's Catchphrase of the Week
Author: anamuan
Fandom, Pairing: Inception. Team fic, essentially, but implied Arthur/Eames and Cobb/Saito if you squint.
Word Count: 915 words.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Cobb navigates life through the mottos he adopts for the people he cares about. Everyone else just puts up with it, more or less.
Note: In which Cobb is my butt monkey. I really don't have an excuse for this.
"Remember what I told you," he says, not waiting for a 'hello' or anything. "'Bonds of trust will never break.'" He pauses, waiting for Arthur to join in for the rest.
"Ahh, Cobb," says Eames. "Arthur's in the shower right at the moment. I'll have him call you back."
Cobb changes tracks. "Eames."
"You do realize how creepy this Manchurian Candidate shit is, right?" Eames says.
"Eames." Cobb's voice pitches lower, into dangerous, growly territory. Eames sighs. Mentally, he flags down heaven and points this out, because this is clearly his good deed for the month, putting up with this.
"'Shifting shapes can never disguise true character.' Arthur will call you back." Eames hangs up before Cobb can demand he finish.
*
Cobb rolls up to the curb and puts the car into park. He doesn't turn the engine off, so it idles gently in front of Tommy and Elissa's house. He turns to look at Phillipa intensely.
"You are my sunshine," he says, like it means something so much more than the words themselves.
"You know, Dad, this was cute when I was 6. Now it's kind of weird," says Phillipa. She unbuckles her seatbelt. Her father clears his throat.
Phillipa rolls her eyes. "My only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey." She rushes through it, says it as fast as she clearly can, in the bored tones of a sixteen year old. Her head bobs from side to side a little with the rhythm of the nursery rhyme to show just how stupid she thinks it is. "Can I go now?" She pops the passenger side door open, but does wait in the car for permission.
Cobb regards her for another moment. "What time is this party over?"
"10," she says.
"You're sure their parents are home? I'm not above calling to check. I'll have Arthur check up on you."
"Yes," Phillipa huffs, climbing out of the car. "Their parents are definitely going to be there the whole time." Phillipa had learned her lesson very young about lying to Uncle Arthur. "See you at 10, Dad!" Phillipa says, much louder than necessary.
Cobb waits until she's up on the front porch to make sure she makes it safely, and gives her a little wave from the curb when she turns to open the door. Phillipa rolls her eyes again, but she smiles just a little and waves back.
*
"Hey, Dom. I'm waiting for a train," Ariadne says, "So keep it qui--"
"NO!" Cobb shouts. Ariadne gives up trying to finish her sentence and yanks the phone away from her ear instead. "DON'T WAIT FOR TRAINS. I don't care how much you love him, it isn't worth it!"
"Don't worry, I know where this one is taking me. Speaking of which, my train's here. I'll call you back."
*
"Dad, don't even start," James says as soon as Cobb opens his mouth. James drops his bag in the middle of the kitchen table, and then stomps straight up the stairs and slams the door to his room.
Cobb follows him upstairs and knocks tentatively at the door. "Did you have a bad day?"
"Go away," James yells through the door.
"That's not how you ask for favors," Cobb tells him.
James yanks the door open, looking furious the way only teenagers can. "Go away please," he shouts, and slams the door shut again.
"Thank you. And use your inside voice," Cobb says, and doesn't say anything at all about butterfly kisses or ladybug hugs. Fourteen might be Cobb's least favourite age. Phillipa had been much easier to handle, at least for another year.
Cobb goes back downstairs. He doesn't put any scotch in his tea, but he thinks about it.
*
“Hi, Cobb, it’s Yusuf,” Yusuf says, calling up in the middle of a Wednesday evening.
Cobb doesn’t say anything for a long moment, waiting for Yusuf to get it. Eventually he coughs, gently.
“Oh, err, right. ‘The real maker of dreams is not the builder, but-’”
“-the one who allows them to be,” Cobb joins in for the end of the phrase. “Right, so, what’s up?”
“My flight out of LAX has been cancelled. Can I crash at yours?”
“Yeah, sure. You need picked up from the airport?”
*
The caller ID comes up blank, which usually means telemarketers, but sometimes means people calling from out of the country. Cobb picks up anyway. It could be important, and if it's not, well, telemarketers don't usually stay on the line long. Cobb has a system.
"Have you called to kill me? I've been waiting for someone..." Cobb says, in lieu of hello. Telemarketers never know what to make of this, and usually end up telling him they've got the wrong number, even though they get paid to cold-call unsuspecting people.
"Someone from a half-remembered dream," says the person on the line. Cobb grins. He loves calls from Saito. "I've called to remind you of something. Something you once knew."
"To convince me to honor our arrangement, yes," Cobb says. "We were young men together."
"Now I'm an old man," Saito says somberly.
"Filled with regret?" Cobb asks.
"Not quite yet. Come so we can be young men together again."
"I will," Cobb assures him, and hangs up. He's most of the way packed already, and Saito's birthday party isn't until Saturday. Cobb feels a little guilty about it, but he likes Saito best. Saito and he understand each other.
Author: anamuan
Fandom, Pairing: Inception. Team fic, essentially, but implied Arthur/Eames and Cobb/Saito if you squint.
Word Count: 915 words.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Cobb navigates life through the mottos he adopts for the people he cares about. Everyone else just puts up with it, more or less.
Note: In which Cobb is my butt monkey. I really don't have an excuse for this.
"Remember what I told you," he says, not waiting for a 'hello' or anything. "'Bonds of trust will never break.'" He pauses, waiting for Arthur to join in for the rest.
"Ahh, Cobb," says Eames. "Arthur's in the shower right at the moment. I'll have him call you back."
Cobb changes tracks. "Eames."
"You do realize how creepy this Manchurian Candidate shit is, right?" Eames says.
"Eames." Cobb's voice pitches lower, into dangerous, growly territory. Eames sighs. Mentally, he flags down heaven and points this out, because this is clearly his good deed for the month, putting up with this.
"'Shifting shapes can never disguise true character.' Arthur will call you back." Eames hangs up before Cobb can demand he finish.
*
Cobb rolls up to the curb and puts the car into park. He doesn't turn the engine off, so it idles gently in front of Tommy and Elissa's house. He turns to look at Phillipa intensely.
"You are my sunshine," he says, like it means something so much more than the words themselves.
"You know, Dad, this was cute when I was 6. Now it's kind of weird," says Phillipa. She unbuckles her seatbelt. Her father clears his throat.
Phillipa rolls her eyes. "My only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey." She rushes through it, says it as fast as she clearly can, in the bored tones of a sixteen year old. Her head bobs from side to side a little with the rhythm of the nursery rhyme to show just how stupid she thinks it is. "Can I go now?" She pops the passenger side door open, but does wait in the car for permission.
Cobb regards her for another moment. "What time is this party over?"
"10," she says.
"You're sure their parents are home? I'm not above calling to check. I'll have Arthur check up on you."
"Yes," Phillipa huffs, climbing out of the car. "Their parents are definitely going to be there the whole time." Phillipa had learned her lesson very young about lying to Uncle Arthur. "See you at 10, Dad!" Phillipa says, much louder than necessary.
Cobb waits until she's up on the front porch to make sure she makes it safely, and gives her a little wave from the curb when she turns to open the door. Phillipa rolls her eyes again, but she smiles just a little and waves back.
*
"Hey, Dom. I'm waiting for a train," Ariadne says, "So keep it qui--"
"NO!" Cobb shouts. Ariadne gives up trying to finish her sentence and yanks the phone away from her ear instead. "DON'T WAIT FOR TRAINS. I don't care how much you love him, it isn't worth it!"
"Don't worry, I know where this one is taking me. Speaking of which, my train's here. I'll call you back."
*
"Dad, don't even start," James says as soon as Cobb opens his mouth. James drops his bag in the middle of the kitchen table, and then stomps straight up the stairs and slams the door to his room.
Cobb follows him upstairs and knocks tentatively at the door. "Did you have a bad day?"
"Go away," James yells through the door.
"That's not how you ask for favors," Cobb tells him.
James yanks the door open, looking furious the way only teenagers can. "Go away please," he shouts, and slams the door shut again.
"Thank you. And use your inside voice," Cobb says, and doesn't say anything at all about butterfly kisses or ladybug hugs. Fourteen might be Cobb's least favourite age. Phillipa had been much easier to handle, at least for another year.
Cobb goes back downstairs. He doesn't put any scotch in his tea, but he thinks about it.
*
“Hi, Cobb, it’s Yusuf,” Yusuf says, calling up in the middle of a Wednesday evening.
Cobb doesn’t say anything for a long moment, waiting for Yusuf to get it. Eventually he coughs, gently.
“Oh, err, right. ‘The real maker of dreams is not the builder, but-’”
“-the one who allows them to be,” Cobb joins in for the end of the phrase. “Right, so, what’s up?”
“My flight out of LAX has been cancelled. Can I crash at yours?”
“Yeah, sure. You need picked up from the airport?”
*
The caller ID comes up blank, which usually means telemarketers, but sometimes means people calling from out of the country. Cobb picks up anyway. It could be important, and if it's not, well, telemarketers don't usually stay on the line long. Cobb has a system.
"Have you called to kill me? I've been waiting for someone..." Cobb says, in lieu of hello. Telemarketers never know what to make of this, and usually end up telling him they've got the wrong number, even though they get paid to cold-call unsuspecting people.
"Someone from a half-remembered dream," says the person on the line. Cobb grins. He loves calls from Saito. "I've called to remind you of something. Something you once knew."
"To convince me to honor our arrangement, yes," Cobb says. "We were young men together."
"Now I'm an old man," Saito says somberly.
"Filled with regret?" Cobb asks.
"Not quite yet. Come so we can be young men together again."
"I will," Cobb assures him, and hangs up. He's most of the way packed already, and Saito's birthday party isn't until Saturday. Cobb feels a little guilty about it, but he likes Saito best. Saito and he understand each other.