can't stay away (come to me) - part i
Title: can't stay away (come to me)
Author: ilcocoabean
Fandom(s): Inception, BBC Sherlock, Suits, Merlin, Leverage, Avengers, Doctor Who, mentions of Torchwood
Character(s)/ Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, Ariadne/Yusuf, Saito/Dom, Saito/Mycroft Holmes, brief appearances and/or mentions of Jessica Pearson (Suits), Morgana, Morgause, Uther Pendragon, Merlin, Arthur Pendragon, Will (BBC Merlin), Sophie Devereaux, Nathan Ford (Leverage), Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Phil Coulson, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Thor (Avengers), Sherlock Holmes, John Watson (BBC Sherlock), The Doctor, Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)
Genre(s): Crack/Humor, Crossover, Fluff, General, Slash
Prompt: Loosely based on this one
Rating: R
Word Count: ~14k seriously LibreOffice, Google and AO3 are giving me three completely different numbers
Summary: Basically I've been calling this “the Inception fic with all the crossovers because of reasons and where Eames and Arthur are stupid and won't get together until they do and Arthur has brothers from different fandoms.” Seems like a good summary.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use.
Warnings: Swearing? Implied sexy times, and minor character deaths sort of.
Note: This fic began because I had a craving for dark fic in which the Inception team were to hired by Mycroft to extract all the things from Moriarty. Unfortunately this is not that fic. This fic is silly and honestly so self-indulgent it's not even funny. Or maybe it is. Idk my humor might not be your humor. Whatever I'm rambling now. I'll shut up. Title inspired by I Found A Reason - Cat Power and I Can't Stay - The Killers which I listened to on repeat while I wrote this omfg I've been working on this for like a month what is my life.
Oh and Arthur's siblings are Phil Coulson and Mike Ross and there are other fics in this verse which I have yet to name so yeah... shutting up now.
ETA: Just one last thing, special thanks to weird_situation for listening to me ramble about this fic and for looking it over. There. Done.
AO3
Arthur has long since given up on committing himself to anyone except for a few of his fellow colleagues. The problem with relationships is that there are too many ways for problems to occur. Dom and Mal were the closest to him and when she died, his friendship with Dom became... strained.
It's not that he doesn't care for Dom anymore, he still does but that doesn’t shake off the awkwardness Arthur feels toward him. The thing is, when you first meet someone and develop a friendship that lasts for over ten years you don't expect them to change much. Dom had, and understandably so. Arthur isn't going to condemn him for the shift in personality considering what he went through. He understands that Dom needs time to adjust and move on, possibly without any previous ties to his past.
Thus it's difficult to continue communication with him after the Fischer job, not because Arthur doesn't want to, but because he can sense the growing distance between them. He knows Dom wants to forget.
Ariadne however, has other plans. It's been roughly three months since they last saw each other yet she is acting as if the job were just completed this morning.
“I think you all me owe me a drink,” she says by way of greeting when he logs onto the video chat.
“Well, I'm not one to turn such an invitation down,” Eames offers in reply with a smile.
“Really?” Yusuf snorts. “This is what was so important? I was in the middle of an experiment.”
Arthur refrains from rolling his eyes but only just so. He glances at the small box with Dom's face in it and notes he's in a similar state of confused annoyance.
“We said no communication for six months,” Dom says.
“Yeah, well about that...” Ariadne sighs. “People don't have the same idea.”
“What do you mean 'people'?” Arthur's eyes narrow. “Has anyone-?”
“Oh, no one of importance.” Ariadne replies waving her hand dismissively. “He occupies a minor position in the British government. Anyway, he got into contact with Saito first who then asked me if I wanted to work on this one. Initially the client wanted all of us but I told him we weren't working together for a while. Saito told me the client said that was fine so long as I agreed to be the architect.”
“So why are you calling us about this?” Dom asks.
“Because Saito hasn't contacted me in about a month and I'm not sure if I should worry or not. I mean is this a usual thing? Have you guys heard from him?”
Arthur doesn't bother hiding his sigh. Of course he'd heard from Saito. A few weeks ago the man had given him a call about a new job offer. He hadn't said yes yet because he was waiting for further intell on the assignment and his teammates. Arthur should have known something was going on when Saito hadn't responded promptly. He looks at the others and notes similar expressions on their faces.
“So no one has any idea what this job is about?” Dom asks after a short silence.
“Well, we can be certain that it'll be on British soil,” Eames says. “This man with the minor position, do you know anything else about him Ariadne?”
“I haven't met him.” She admits. “Saito said introductions weren't necessary. If I had any problems I could contact him, which struck me as a little odd but I didn't think much about it since you know,” she shrugs a little here. “I'm new and all.”
“So it can be supposed that the man is someone of importance,” Eames leans back in his chair. “Otherwise he'd have no problem in making his presence known to us.”
“Have anyone in mind?” Arthur asks.
“Oh yes,” Eames nods. “If I'm correct, which is quite likely given the discretion of the job, I'd have to say it was-”
Arthur blinks when his screen goes black. He curses and reaches for his phone. As he’s scrolling through the contacts it rings. The number is blocked and he lets it rings three times before turning it off. He rushes to his bedroom and grabs the two overnight bags he keeps in the closet for situations like this. Just as he's pulling on his jacket he stops and listens.
When the sound of the door unlocking reaches his ears he continues moving, slipping out of the room quietly, and heading for the kitchen. He's on the third floor, and it isn't too much of a jump if he manages to climb down onto the second floor's balcony. Just as he's opening the window, a man steps into the kitchen.
“Really, that's as far as you got?” He tuts. “Well, I suppose it'll have to do. Come down from there, it's no use, you won't get far. The place is surrounded.”
Against his better judgment Arthur turns to look at the man, eyebrows raised. “And exactly who are you?”
The man is holding an umbrella and wearing a three piece suit. From within his waistcoat pocket he pulls out a watch and purses his lips.
“I'm Mycroft Holmes,” he replies. “I have a job for you and your colleagues.”
.
The job is a mindfuck. It's not that they fail (at least according to Mycroft they don't) but the man's mind was just... surreal; like something out of a Dalí painting.
Ariadne insists on drinks afterwards and they each try very hard to forget James Moriarty. Arthur for one, privately vows never to accept another job from Mycroft Holmes. Whatever the pay was, it wouldn't be worth it. Eames sits next to him, humming under his breath to some song Arthur's never heard before. He decides to ignore it, in favor of speaking to Dom about his family.
After a few more rounds he and Dom leave for their respective hotels. Arthur books his next flight and schedules for a cab to pick him up at five in the morning. He hadn't bothered to ask the others if they were staying but judging from the wistful look on Dom's face when he spoke of his children, he doubts he'll be staying long. He overheard Ariadne and Eames talking about sight-seeing and although Yusuf had been on board with the idea, the chemist had mentioned experiments he wanted to work on.
He loosens his tie and sets an alarm for four. He estimates he'll need at least fifteen minutes to wake up, another fifteen to shower and dress; and the remaining half hour gathering his things (toothbrush, shoes, and clothes) before checking out. More than enough time, given that his things haven’t moved far from his suitcase.
Just as he's about to fall asleep his phone vibrates. He grumbles in its general direction and turns away, burrowing further into the pillows. When he wakes up, he looks at the screen, and grimaces at the number of calls he's missed. Two are from Ariadne and three from Eames. They've also left several messages.
Arthur arthhuuurrrrr. answwer ur phone.
That one is from Eames and several others continue in the same vein. However much to his surprise, one is from Ariadne which makes Arthur suspect they got drunk together and switched phones at some point. Finally one text from Eames reveals the reason for their calls:
didd u no tat saito & mycroft having an affaair?
Grimacing at the spelling errors, he sends a text back:
No, I wasn't aware.
He rolls his eyes and heads to the shower. By the time he gets out, he has several texts, two from Ariadne, demanding his whereabouts and three from Eames, delighting in the new knowledge and providing further details on how he obtained the information.
He informs Ariadne of his plane and doesn't even bother answering Eames.
. . .
Two months pass but not completely in silence. Yusuf doesn’t get in contact again but Ariadne confirms Arthur’s suspicions about the new experiments he's working on. He doesn't question her too much as to how she's aware of this but judging from the way she deliberately side-steps any inquiries about it, he's going to assume that it’s private.
Arthur and Ariadne keep a steady e-mail correspondence; usually she complains about her thesis or her career prospects but sometimes she talks of the jobs she’s doing, most of which she claims are boring. It had been odd at first, sending short e-mails of questions and advice back and forth but after a while it changed. Ariadne would slip in complaints about her team or perhaps share a memory of her childhood and likewise Arthur found himself sending back stories of his own, about the jobs he's done. He never mentions his non-existent social life and she never asks after it.
Dom sometimes calls to ask after him and whether he's found any new jobs. After the Moriarty extraction, any pretense of silence between them has been shattered and although things aren't as they used to be, Arthur hopes that perhaps he can begin to see Dom as he did before. Not as a mentor but at least as a colleague he can respect and trust.
Eames sends him e-mails too. Mostly they’re silly e-cards full of jokes and animations that bring a series of annoying pop-up ads in their wake. For the most part Arthur begins his replies with curt explanations of how useless the e-mails are and how Arthur doesn't have time for this but whenever he goes to send the response, he manages to calm himself down, discards any drafts that have been saved, and exits the window instead. Eames never complains about the one-sided correspondence and instead as the weeks go by his e-mails become scattered with inside jokes, dinner invitations and pictures of his current position. They’re never too detailed and the dinner invitations are never mentioned again in the following e-mails.
.
Saito contacts them again, this time forgoing the secrecy and setting up a time and place where they'll learn more about the job. They find themselves in an old building in New York which Saito has forbidden them to leave until the job is done. Arthur has no problems with this, thinking of the expenses he'll save on a hotel room. Eames, on the other hand, protests loudly.
“And what if I were to crave a drink or a softer pillow?” Eames asks. “Will you provide it for me?”
“I doubt it will be necessary,” Saito replies curtly. “The job is fairly simple. Get in, get my information, and get out.”
“And how do you expect us to get to Miss Pearson?” Eames taps a pen on the picture of the woman. “She's has constant surveillance.”
“Well, this is what you're paid for.” Saito glares. “Figure it out.”
The business man leaves, slamming the door behind him. The room is silent until Ariadne bursts out laughing. Arthur turns to her and notes the smile now gracing Eames' lips.
“I'm pretty sure he's still angry about London,” Ariadne says to Eames.
“Well yes, that much is obvious,” Eames laughs. “I don't understand why he's still snippy. It's not as if it matters much to me.”
“What are you two talking about?” Yusuf asks.
“Eames found out that Saito is in a relationship with Mr. Holmes,” Dom explains without looking up from the photographs and papers. “Now can we get back on task? I don't want to spend an entire month here. If we plan this right, we can be out of here in three weeks...”
.
They finish the extraction in ten days. The law firm doesn't exactly crumble but there is a new partner who Saito claims will be the best closer the city has ever seen. Arthur tries to ignore the speculative looks Ariadne and Eames share (he really does not need to know about Saito's love life) and declines their invitation for drinks.
Poor Yusuf however is dragged along and before the night is through, Arthur has had calls from all three of them and several texts as well. He begins to wonder about their drunken fascination with him. Eames he understands, and to a certain degree Ariadne as well, but Yusuf? He’s barely worked with the man.
He checks his e-mails before falling asleep and responds to one. A few hours later, he wakes to the ringing of his phone. He groans when he recognizes the ringtone.
“Yes?” He answers.
“You accepted another job?” Dom asks.
“I don't see why this surprises you,” Arthur rubs his eyelids. “I thought we agreed on a little space.”
“The client seems to think otherwise.” Dom's voice is tinged with amusement. “I got a copy of all the information that's been sent to you. Ariadne and Yusuf tell me they've received a similar e-mail and are complaining about the lack of vacation. Have you heard from Eames?”
“No, not yet at least,” Arthur curses under his breath. “I accepted it last night but I thought it would only be me.”
“Well it doesn't look too bad,” Dom says.
Arthur scans his e-mails and pauses over one from an address he recognizes. He opens it, and sighs.
“What?” Dom asks.
“Eames got an e-mail too,” Arthur explains. “Look I'll call you back, let me see what I can do to-”
“Hey,” Dom interrupts. “We're all okay with it. I told the kids I'd be away for a while. Their grandmother wanted some time alone with them. I haven't even booked my plane back home yet so it's no big deal.”
“You sure?”
“Set up the meeting. Let them know we'll be on our way.”
Arthur ends the call and glares at his laptop. He hadn't intended to take another job with them. This one was supposed to be done alone. It didn't look too difficult so why were they asking his inception colleagues to come along? He narrows his eyes and reaches for his phone again. Although the e-mails were brief and scarcely of any use to him, he still recognizes the last name.
“Ooh a phone call, pet?” Eames says by way of greeting.
“Tell me,” Arthur begins, ignoring the other man's chuckle. “Do you by any chance know the name Pendragon?”
.
The job is a mess. In fact this time when Ariadne invites them for drinks, Arthur accepts. They all sit around a dimly-lit pub, nursing their glasses or beers, and stare morosely up at the television set. A news reporter is standing underneath an umbrella-a poor shield against the heavy rain-holding up his microphone as he speaks to the camera.
“It is with deep sorrow that the Pendragon family mourns the loss of a bodyguard. The woman's family has asked for her name not to be divulged to the public however over the past few years she became well-known as Lady Morgana's sole protector. The two were often seen in public together and although speculation on their relationship followed them, it was clear to many that they shared a deep bond.”
Arthur does feel bad for her. Probably not to the extent of guilt evident on Eames' face but still, he won't deny he feels a shred of it as well. Morgause had only been looking after Morgana's well-being as she was hired to do. If things hadn't turned as nastily as they had, then things might have been a little better.
“She doesn't blame us,” Dom announces when he rejoins the table, slipping his phone into his pocket. “Morgana says she's holding her step-father accountable for Morgause's death.”
Eames huffs a little depreciatively. “Doesn't matter does it? We still caused it.”
“No, if anything, it’s my fault,” Arthur sighs. “I shouldn't have taken the job.”
“You are correct.”
They look up at the sound of a new voice. Saito stands before them, a folder in his hands. Meeting their questioning gazes, he takes a seat at their table, and opens the folder. He separates the papers into two stacks which he lays before them.
“This,” Saito points to the stack on his left, “is the official statement of Morgause's unfortunate death.” He points to the other. “And this is a copy of her records in a witness protection program she's been inducted into in the United States.” They stare at him in disbelief and he smirks before standing up. “Mr. Holmes felt it was in your best interest to know the truth. Of course, this is a matter of utmost discretion so if it isn't too much trouble?” He sweeps out of the pub without a backwards glance.
Arthur jumps when his phone buzzes and reaches for it at the exact moment as the others reach for their own.
We'll keep in touch.
-M.
Ariadne glances over his shoulder at his phone and lets out a small hysterical giggle. She reaches for her glass and swallows the rest in one smooth gulp before waving the waitress over.
“I need more alcohol in order to process this,” she declares.
“I agree with that sentiment.” Eames nods and proceeds to order another round for them all.
. . .
Arthur doesn't need to be told that he and the others have become famous in their line of work. He can tell the news has become well known from the amount of offers that come his way which are more than he's seen in the past two years. However that doesn't mean he takes them all as they come in. Arthur's careful with the jobs he takes and even then he makes sure to go over the details with Dom and the others before accepting.
After the Morgause incident, Arthur rarely takes any offers sent to his e-mail. Most seem to know that in order to receive their services, their best bet is to contact Saito. The extractions he's asked them to do are difficult enough that they are on par with their skills but nothing too dangerous that will cause them harm. It seems they've all learned from their initial job together.
Several missions follow and although they are all successful, after the seventh mission they decide to split up. They're sitting in a café in Paris, having called Saito along to hear them out. It doesn't seem to surprise him at all and he sits quietly, sipping his tea.
“I'm tired,” Dom says. “I don't want to leave my kids anymore.”
“Understandable,” Saito nods.
“Mycroft's offered me a position after graduation.” Ariadne offers. “Not sure what though.”
“Training.” Eames sets his cup down. “It's what I used to do when I worked for him.”
“I've gotten rather busy as well,” Yusuf adds with a shrug. “Might be setting up a new den in London. Mycroft's also... ah... offered me a job. I'll get dental.”
Eames snorts, “yes and I'm sure it'll be a fine plan.”
“Shut up.”
“And what about you two? Eames? Arthur?” Ariadne asks.
“I'll still be available,” Arthur says.
“As will I.” Eames adds. “I'm sure Mr. Saito can arrange something for us.”
“I can.” Saito nods.
.
The separation is easy for the most part and Arthur wants to believe it's because people genuinely want him but he knows it's because Saito has been filtering the job offers that head his way. He isn't complaining by any means, in fact it's a pleasant change and although he still keeps in contact with the others, he finds he doesn't miss them much.
If he were to say he didn't miss them at all, that would be a lie. Working with new people is a little frustrating but somehow it all works out. They get used to Arthur's clipped tones. Many respect him and don't bother questioning his aloof manner. Others (and there's a variety in terms of gender) try to seduce him but that usually ends in mutual embarrassment.
Arthur amuses himself in retelling one of these failed attempts to Ariadne when he meets up with her in London after a successful extraction (she insisted on at least a beer for old time's sake).
“Eames came up with something far better when we first met,” Arthur huffs in amusement. “And that is saying something.”
“Oooh!” Ariadne sets her drink down. “How did you two meet? I've been trying to get it out of him for months now but he won't tell me.”
“It was accident,” Arthur begins. “He was supposed to meet Dom but saw me in a bar first-”
“You mean he got distracted?” Ariadne asks knowingly.
“If you want to see it that way.” Arthur rolls his eyes. “He comes up to the bar, holding up a briefcase-horrendous mud color by the way, stickers of the British flag stamped all over it-and tells me he's here for a very important meeting and he's putting it on hold just so he can find out what my name is. If I remember correctly he called me the most 'delicate and loveliest of creatures' he'd ever set his eyes on.”
Ariadne laughs. “Of course he did. What did you say?”
“I recognized him of course since so I brought him to Dom. He thought I was bringing him up to my room.”
“To be fair,” a voice behind him purrs. “You weren't very adverse to my advances.”
Arthur turns around, in surprise. Eames is holding a glass of scotch and ice which he tips in Ariadne's direction.
“Eames!” Ariadne jumps up and offers him a hug. “What are you doing in London?”
He takes the seat next to Ariadne. “Thought I'd visit Yusuf, see what the man's been up to. You lot?”
“Arthur came to visit too,” Ariadne explains before Arthur can say anything.
“Oh I'm hurt.” Eames pouts at Arthur. “Do I not matter enough to warrant a visit?”
“I figured you could stand a couple of months without me checking up on you.” Arthur shrugs. He eyes the British man out of the corner of his eye. “You have been doing well haven't you?”
“Yes, dear.” Eames sighs dramatically. “I've made sure not to get involved in any scandalous affairs and I've kept out of trouble... for the most part.” He winks at Ariadne before lowering his voice. “Have you two heard about the latest story surrounding the Pendragons?”
“You didn't,” Ariadne turns her attention fully to him. “You mean you did that?”
“I was a part of the team that planned it,” Eames corrects. “Sophie is an old friend of mine and I was itching to get back at Uther.”
“She's alive though,” Arthur points out, not bothering to explain who he means. “So why?”
“Oh no this was something different,” Eames replies with a wicked grin. “Apparently the bastard was worse than we initially figured. He refused to offer medical help for a man named Will, one of the palace's servants. Young William was friends with Merlin, the prince's personal body guard, so Merlin tried to quit only he wasn't able to get away from the palace in time. Uther kept him from being by Will's side before he died.”
“So you stole the prince's prized stallion?” Arthur snorts. “How did that affect him?”
“Quite a bit,” Eames laughs. “You see, the prince let us know that although the horse was his, the poor animal was his father's favorite and he had no problem selling it off so long as we promised to make sure it would be taken care of.”
“That's amazing,” Ariadne mutters. “Seriously-”
“I have two questions.” Arthur interrupts. “One, is this the same Sophie I met in Paris?”
“Miss Devereaux, yes,” Eames grins. “She and her new team are a rather formidable force. I'm surprised they haven't gone after Saito yet. Nate would love to sink his business.”
Arthur nods at the information before continuing, “two, how did you smuggle a horse out of the palace grounds?”
Eames laughs but shakes his head. “I can't tell you that. You probably wouldn't believe me.”
. . .
Arthur takes a break for a while. He doesn't mean to but the trickle of offers coming his way aren't interesting enough. He does however, make it a point to take a plane to L.A for Phillipa's tenth birthday. He expects it to be a quiet affair but it is not. When he arrives, he is greeted by a wary Yusuf who is covered in what Arthur suspects to be glitter and ribbons.
“Please tell me you've got a job or something.” Yusuf all but begs. “These children will be the death of me.”
Arthur can't help the smile on his face. “No, I'm here for Phillipa. Same as you, I expect?”
“And that makes the gang complete!” Eames walks into the room, wearing a ridiculous pink and purple stringed party hat. “Arthur, dear I thought you'd never come. You usually aren't this late.”
Arthur blinks at the man's presence before shaking off his surprise. “There was traffic.”
“Uncle Arthur!”
Arthur turns just as two children collide with his legs. There are other children in the living room, glancing up at the sight of a new adult. Bending down to exchange hugs with the Cobb children, he asks after their father.
“He's with Aunt Ariadne in the kitchen,” James explains. “They're getting the cake.”
“A very important job,” Arthur nods solemnly. “I'll go see if I can help.”
.
“So how has life been treating you?” Eames asks.
They're alone on the porch, sipping beers and doing their best to ignore the shrieks of laughter from inside. The children have become rowdier with the consumption of cake. Arthur winces when he hears the sound of a crash followed by a loud round of “ooooh”s in perfect unison.
“I'm sorry?” Arthur turns at Eames' expectant look. When he repeats the question Arthur shrugs. “Not bad. Few extractions. People have stopped asking me about inception. I’ve been hired by a couple others to train their employees. You?”
“Pretty much the same,” Eames nods. “Mycroft's been trying to call me back to train his recruits. Told him to piss off.”
“I don't understand why you don't say yes,” Arthur mutters.
“No, you understand perfectly darling.” Eames' voice is suddenly cold and when Arthur glances at him, he sees the hard set to his jaw.
He nods and says nothing.
part ii
Author: ilcocoabean
Fandom(s): Inception, BBC Sherlock, Suits, Merlin, Leverage, Avengers, Doctor Who, mentions of Torchwood
Character(s)/ Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, Ariadne/Yusuf, Saito/Dom, Saito/Mycroft Holmes, brief appearances and/or mentions of Jessica Pearson (Suits), Morgana, Morgause, Uther Pendragon, Merlin, Arthur Pendragon, Will (BBC Merlin), Sophie Devereaux, Nathan Ford (Leverage), Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Phil Coulson, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Thor (Avengers), Sherlock Holmes, John Watson (BBC Sherlock), The Doctor, Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)
Genre(s): Crack/Humor, Crossover, Fluff, General, Slash
Prompt: Loosely based on this one
Rating: R
Word Count: ~14k seriously LibreOffice, Google and AO3 are giving me three completely different numbers
Summary: Basically I've been calling this “the Inception fic with all the crossovers because of reasons and where Eames and Arthur are stupid and won't get together until they do and Arthur has brothers from different fandoms.” Seems like a good summary.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use.
Warnings: Swearing? Implied sexy times, and minor character deaths sort of.
Note: This fic began because I had a craving for dark fic in which the Inception team were to hired by Mycroft to extract all the things from Moriarty. Unfortunately this is not that fic. This fic is silly and honestly so self-indulgent it's not even funny. Or maybe it is. Idk my humor might not be your humor. Whatever I'm rambling now. I'll shut up. Title inspired by I Found A Reason - Cat Power and I Can't Stay - The Killers which I listened to on repeat while I wrote this omfg I've been working on this for like a month what is my life.
Oh and Arthur's siblings are Phil Coulson and Mike Ross and there are other fics in this verse which I have yet to name so yeah... shutting up now.
ETA: Just one last thing, special thanks to weird_situation for listening to me ramble about this fic and for looking it over. There. Done.
AO3
Arthur has long since given up on committing himself to anyone except for a few of his fellow colleagues. The problem with relationships is that there are too many ways for problems to occur. Dom and Mal were the closest to him and when she died, his friendship with Dom became... strained.
It's not that he doesn't care for Dom anymore, he still does but that doesn’t shake off the awkwardness Arthur feels toward him. The thing is, when you first meet someone and develop a friendship that lasts for over ten years you don't expect them to change much. Dom had, and understandably so. Arthur isn't going to condemn him for the shift in personality considering what he went through. He understands that Dom needs time to adjust and move on, possibly without any previous ties to his past.
Thus it's difficult to continue communication with him after the Fischer job, not because Arthur doesn't want to, but because he can sense the growing distance between them. He knows Dom wants to forget.
Ariadne however, has other plans. It's been roughly three months since they last saw each other yet she is acting as if the job were just completed this morning.
“I think you all me owe me a drink,” she says by way of greeting when he logs onto the video chat.
“Well, I'm not one to turn such an invitation down,” Eames offers in reply with a smile.
“Really?” Yusuf snorts. “This is what was so important? I was in the middle of an experiment.”
Arthur refrains from rolling his eyes but only just so. He glances at the small box with Dom's face in it and notes he's in a similar state of confused annoyance.
“We said no communication for six months,” Dom says.
“Yeah, well about that...” Ariadne sighs. “People don't have the same idea.”
“What do you mean 'people'?” Arthur's eyes narrow. “Has anyone-?”
“Oh, no one of importance.” Ariadne replies waving her hand dismissively. “He occupies a minor position in the British government. Anyway, he got into contact with Saito first who then asked me if I wanted to work on this one. Initially the client wanted all of us but I told him we weren't working together for a while. Saito told me the client said that was fine so long as I agreed to be the architect.”
“So why are you calling us about this?” Dom asks.
“Because Saito hasn't contacted me in about a month and I'm not sure if I should worry or not. I mean is this a usual thing? Have you guys heard from him?”
Arthur doesn't bother hiding his sigh. Of course he'd heard from Saito. A few weeks ago the man had given him a call about a new job offer. He hadn't said yes yet because he was waiting for further intell on the assignment and his teammates. Arthur should have known something was going on when Saito hadn't responded promptly. He looks at the others and notes similar expressions on their faces.
“So no one has any idea what this job is about?” Dom asks after a short silence.
“Well, we can be certain that it'll be on British soil,” Eames says. “This man with the minor position, do you know anything else about him Ariadne?”
“I haven't met him.” She admits. “Saito said introductions weren't necessary. If I had any problems I could contact him, which struck me as a little odd but I didn't think much about it since you know,” she shrugs a little here. “I'm new and all.”
“So it can be supposed that the man is someone of importance,” Eames leans back in his chair. “Otherwise he'd have no problem in making his presence known to us.”
“Have anyone in mind?” Arthur asks.
“Oh yes,” Eames nods. “If I'm correct, which is quite likely given the discretion of the job, I'd have to say it was-”
Arthur blinks when his screen goes black. He curses and reaches for his phone. As he’s scrolling through the contacts it rings. The number is blocked and he lets it rings three times before turning it off. He rushes to his bedroom and grabs the two overnight bags he keeps in the closet for situations like this. Just as he's pulling on his jacket he stops and listens.
When the sound of the door unlocking reaches his ears he continues moving, slipping out of the room quietly, and heading for the kitchen. He's on the third floor, and it isn't too much of a jump if he manages to climb down onto the second floor's balcony. Just as he's opening the window, a man steps into the kitchen.
“Really, that's as far as you got?” He tuts. “Well, I suppose it'll have to do. Come down from there, it's no use, you won't get far. The place is surrounded.”
Against his better judgment Arthur turns to look at the man, eyebrows raised. “And exactly who are you?”
The man is holding an umbrella and wearing a three piece suit. From within his waistcoat pocket he pulls out a watch and purses his lips.
“I'm Mycroft Holmes,” he replies. “I have a job for you and your colleagues.”
.
The job is a mindfuck. It's not that they fail (at least according to Mycroft they don't) but the man's mind was just... surreal; like something out of a Dalí painting.
Ariadne insists on drinks afterwards and they each try very hard to forget James Moriarty. Arthur for one, privately vows never to accept another job from Mycroft Holmes. Whatever the pay was, it wouldn't be worth it. Eames sits next to him, humming under his breath to some song Arthur's never heard before. He decides to ignore it, in favor of speaking to Dom about his family.
After a few more rounds he and Dom leave for their respective hotels. Arthur books his next flight and schedules for a cab to pick him up at five in the morning. He hadn't bothered to ask the others if they were staying but judging from the wistful look on Dom's face when he spoke of his children, he doubts he'll be staying long. He overheard Ariadne and Eames talking about sight-seeing and although Yusuf had been on board with the idea, the chemist had mentioned experiments he wanted to work on.
He loosens his tie and sets an alarm for four. He estimates he'll need at least fifteen minutes to wake up, another fifteen to shower and dress; and the remaining half hour gathering his things (toothbrush, shoes, and clothes) before checking out. More than enough time, given that his things haven’t moved far from his suitcase.
Just as he's about to fall asleep his phone vibrates. He grumbles in its general direction and turns away, burrowing further into the pillows. When he wakes up, he looks at the screen, and grimaces at the number of calls he's missed. Two are from Ariadne and three from Eames. They've also left several messages.
Arthur arthhuuurrrrr. answwer ur phone.
That one is from Eames and several others continue in the same vein. However much to his surprise, one is from Ariadne which makes Arthur suspect they got drunk together and switched phones at some point. Finally one text from Eames reveals the reason for their calls:
didd u no tat saito & mycroft having an affaair?
Grimacing at the spelling errors, he sends a text back:
No, I wasn't aware.
He rolls his eyes and heads to the shower. By the time he gets out, he has several texts, two from Ariadne, demanding his whereabouts and three from Eames, delighting in the new knowledge and providing further details on how he obtained the information.
He informs Ariadne of his plane and doesn't even bother answering Eames.
. . .
Two months pass but not completely in silence. Yusuf doesn’t get in contact again but Ariadne confirms Arthur’s suspicions about the new experiments he's working on. He doesn't question her too much as to how she's aware of this but judging from the way she deliberately side-steps any inquiries about it, he's going to assume that it’s private.
Arthur and Ariadne keep a steady e-mail correspondence; usually she complains about her thesis or her career prospects but sometimes she talks of the jobs she’s doing, most of which she claims are boring. It had been odd at first, sending short e-mails of questions and advice back and forth but after a while it changed. Ariadne would slip in complaints about her team or perhaps share a memory of her childhood and likewise Arthur found himself sending back stories of his own, about the jobs he's done. He never mentions his non-existent social life and she never asks after it.
Dom sometimes calls to ask after him and whether he's found any new jobs. After the Moriarty extraction, any pretense of silence between them has been shattered and although things aren't as they used to be, Arthur hopes that perhaps he can begin to see Dom as he did before. Not as a mentor but at least as a colleague he can respect and trust.
Eames sends him e-mails too. Mostly they’re silly e-cards full of jokes and animations that bring a series of annoying pop-up ads in their wake. For the most part Arthur begins his replies with curt explanations of how useless the e-mails are and how Arthur doesn't have time for this but whenever he goes to send the response, he manages to calm himself down, discards any drafts that have been saved, and exits the window instead. Eames never complains about the one-sided correspondence and instead as the weeks go by his e-mails become scattered with inside jokes, dinner invitations and pictures of his current position. They’re never too detailed and the dinner invitations are never mentioned again in the following e-mails.
.
Saito contacts them again, this time forgoing the secrecy and setting up a time and place where they'll learn more about the job. They find themselves in an old building in New York which Saito has forbidden them to leave until the job is done. Arthur has no problems with this, thinking of the expenses he'll save on a hotel room. Eames, on the other hand, protests loudly.
“And what if I were to crave a drink or a softer pillow?” Eames asks. “Will you provide it for me?”
“I doubt it will be necessary,” Saito replies curtly. “The job is fairly simple. Get in, get my information, and get out.”
“And how do you expect us to get to Miss Pearson?” Eames taps a pen on the picture of the woman. “She's has constant surveillance.”
“Well, this is what you're paid for.” Saito glares. “Figure it out.”
The business man leaves, slamming the door behind him. The room is silent until Ariadne bursts out laughing. Arthur turns to her and notes the smile now gracing Eames' lips.
“I'm pretty sure he's still angry about London,” Ariadne says to Eames.
“Well yes, that much is obvious,” Eames laughs. “I don't understand why he's still snippy. It's not as if it matters much to me.”
“What are you two talking about?” Yusuf asks.
“Eames found out that Saito is in a relationship with Mr. Holmes,” Dom explains without looking up from the photographs and papers. “Now can we get back on task? I don't want to spend an entire month here. If we plan this right, we can be out of here in three weeks...”
.
They finish the extraction in ten days. The law firm doesn't exactly crumble but there is a new partner who Saito claims will be the best closer the city has ever seen. Arthur tries to ignore the speculative looks Ariadne and Eames share (he really does not need to know about Saito's love life) and declines their invitation for drinks.
Poor Yusuf however is dragged along and before the night is through, Arthur has had calls from all three of them and several texts as well. He begins to wonder about their drunken fascination with him. Eames he understands, and to a certain degree Ariadne as well, but Yusuf? He’s barely worked with the man.
He checks his e-mails before falling asleep and responds to one. A few hours later, he wakes to the ringing of his phone. He groans when he recognizes the ringtone.
“Yes?” He answers.
“You accepted another job?” Dom asks.
“I don't see why this surprises you,” Arthur rubs his eyelids. “I thought we agreed on a little space.”
“The client seems to think otherwise.” Dom's voice is tinged with amusement. “I got a copy of all the information that's been sent to you. Ariadne and Yusuf tell me they've received a similar e-mail and are complaining about the lack of vacation. Have you heard from Eames?”
“No, not yet at least,” Arthur curses under his breath. “I accepted it last night but I thought it would only be me.”
“Well it doesn't look too bad,” Dom says.
Arthur scans his e-mails and pauses over one from an address he recognizes. He opens it, and sighs.
“What?” Dom asks.
“Eames got an e-mail too,” Arthur explains. “Look I'll call you back, let me see what I can do to-”
“Hey,” Dom interrupts. “We're all okay with it. I told the kids I'd be away for a while. Their grandmother wanted some time alone with them. I haven't even booked my plane back home yet so it's no big deal.”
“You sure?”
“Set up the meeting. Let them know we'll be on our way.”
Arthur ends the call and glares at his laptop. He hadn't intended to take another job with them. This one was supposed to be done alone. It didn't look too difficult so why were they asking his inception colleagues to come along? He narrows his eyes and reaches for his phone again. Although the e-mails were brief and scarcely of any use to him, he still recognizes the last name.
“Ooh a phone call, pet?” Eames says by way of greeting.
“Tell me,” Arthur begins, ignoring the other man's chuckle. “Do you by any chance know the name Pendragon?”
.
The job is a mess. In fact this time when Ariadne invites them for drinks, Arthur accepts. They all sit around a dimly-lit pub, nursing their glasses or beers, and stare morosely up at the television set. A news reporter is standing underneath an umbrella-a poor shield against the heavy rain-holding up his microphone as he speaks to the camera.
“It is with deep sorrow that the Pendragon family mourns the loss of a bodyguard. The woman's family has asked for her name not to be divulged to the public however over the past few years she became well-known as Lady Morgana's sole protector. The two were often seen in public together and although speculation on their relationship followed them, it was clear to many that they shared a deep bond.”
Arthur does feel bad for her. Probably not to the extent of guilt evident on Eames' face but still, he won't deny he feels a shred of it as well. Morgause had only been looking after Morgana's well-being as she was hired to do. If things hadn't turned as nastily as they had, then things might have been a little better.
“She doesn't blame us,” Dom announces when he rejoins the table, slipping his phone into his pocket. “Morgana says she's holding her step-father accountable for Morgause's death.”
Eames huffs a little depreciatively. “Doesn't matter does it? We still caused it.”
“No, if anything, it’s my fault,” Arthur sighs. “I shouldn't have taken the job.”
“You are correct.”
They look up at the sound of a new voice. Saito stands before them, a folder in his hands. Meeting their questioning gazes, he takes a seat at their table, and opens the folder. He separates the papers into two stacks which he lays before them.
“This,” Saito points to the stack on his left, “is the official statement of Morgause's unfortunate death.” He points to the other. “And this is a copy of her records in a witness protection program she's been inducted into in the United States.” They stare at him in disbelief and he smirks before standing up. “Mr. Holmes felt it was in your best interest to know the truth. Of course, this is a matter of utmost discretion so if it isn't too much trouble?” He sweeps out of the pub without a backwards glance.
Arthur jumps when his phone buzzes and reaches for it at the exact moment as the others reach for their own.
We'll keep in touch.
-M.
Ariadne glances over his shoulder at his phone and lets out a small hysterical giggle. She reaches for her glass and swallows the rest in one smooth gulp before waving the waitress over.
“I need more alcohol in order to process this,” she declares.
“I agree with that sentiment.” Eames nods and proceeds to order another round for them all.
. . .
Arthur doesn't need to be told that he and the others have become famous in their line of work. He can tell the news has become well known from the amount of offers that come his way which are more than he's seen in the past two years. However that doesn't mean he takes them all as they come in. Arthur's careful with the jobs he takes and even then he makes sure to go over the details with Dom and the others before accepting.
After the Morgause incident, Arthur rarely takes any offers sent to his e-mail. Most seem to know that in order to receive their services, their best bet is to contact Saito. The extractions he's asked them to do are difficult enough that they are on par with their skills but nothing too dangerous that will cause them harm. It seems they've all learned from their initial job together.
Several missions follow and although they are all successful, after the seventh mission they decide to split up. They're sitting in a café in Paris, having called Saito along to hear them out. It doesn't seem to surprise him at all and he sits quietly, sipping his tea.
“I'm tired,” Dom says. “I don't want to leave my kids anymore.”
“Understandable,” Saito nods.
“Mycroft's offered me a position after graduation.” Ariadne offers. “Not sure what though.”
“Training.” Eames sets his cup down. “It's what I used to do when I worked for him.”
“I've gotten rather busy as well,” Yusuf adds with a shrug. “Might be setting up a new den in London. Mycroft's also... ah... offered me a job. I'll get dental.”
Eames snorts, “yes and I'm sure it'll be a fine plan.”
“Shut up.”
“And what about you two? Eames? Arthur?” Ariadne asks.
“I'll still be available,” Arthur says.
“As will I.” Eames adds. “I'm sure Mr. Saito can arrange something for us.”
“I can.” Saito nods.
.
The separation is easy for the most part and Arthur wants to believe it's because people genuinely want him but he knows it's because Saito has been filtering the job offers that head his way. He isn't complaining by any means, in fact it's a pleasant change and although he still keeps in contact with the others, he finds he doesn't miss them much.
If he were to say he didn't miss them at all, that would be a lie. Working with new people is a little frustrating but somehow it all works out. They get used to Arthur's clipped tones. Many respect him and don't bother questioning his aloof manner. Others (and there's a variety in terms of gender) try to seduce him but that usually ends in mutual embarrassment.
Arthur amuses himself in retelling one of these failed attempts to Ariadne when he meets up with her in London after a successful extraction (she insisted on at least a beer for old time's sake).
“Eames came up with something far better when we first met,” Arthur huffs in amusement. “And that is saying something.”
“Oooh!” Ariadne sets her drink down. “How did you two meet? I've been trying to get it out of him for months now but he won't tell me.”
“It was accident,” Arthur begins. “He was supposed to meet Dom but saw me in a bar first-”
“You mean he got distracted?” Ariadne asks knowingly.
“If you want to see it that way.” Arthur rolls his eyes. “He comes up to the bar, holding up a briefcase-horrendous mud color by the way, stickers of the British flag stamped all over it-and tells me he's here for a very important meeting and he's putting it on hold just so he can find out what my name is. If I remember correctly he called me the most 'delicate and loveliest of creatures' he'd ever set his eyes on.”
Ariadne laughs. “Of course he did. What did you say?”
“I recognized him of course since so I brought him to Dom. He thought I was bringing him up to my room.”
“To be fair,” a voice behind him purrs. “You weren't very adverse to my advances.”
Arthur turns around, in surprise. Eames is holding a glass of scotch and ice which he tips in Ariadne's direction.
“Eames!” Ariadne jumps up and offers him a hug. “What are you doing in London?”
He takes the seat next to Ariadne. “Thought I'd visit Yusuf, see what the man's been up to. You lot?”
“Arthur came to visit too,” Ariadne explains before Arthur can say anything.
“Oh I'm hurt.” Eames pouts at Arthur. “Do I not matter enough to warrant a visit?”
“I figured you could stand a couple of months without me checking up on you.” Arthur shrugs. He eyes the British man out of the corner of his eye. “You have been doing well haven't you?”
“Yes, dear.” Eames sighs dramatically. “I've made sure not to get involved in any scandalous affairs and I've kept out of trouble... for the most part.” He winks at Ariadne before lowering his voice. “Have you two heard about the latest story surrounding the Pendragons?”
“You didn't,” Ariadne turns her attention fully to him. “You mean you did that?”
“I was a part of the team that planned it,” Eames corrects. “Sophie is an old friend of mine and I was itching to get back at Uther.”
“She's alive though,” Arthur points out, not bothering to explain who he means. “So why?”
“Oh no this was something different,” Eames replies with a wicked grin. “Apparently the bastard was worse than we initially figured. He refused to offer medical help for a man named Will, one of the palace's servants. Young William was friends with Merlin, the prince's personal body guard, so Merlin tried to quit only he wasn't able to get away from the palace in time. Uther kept him from being by Will's side before he died.”
“So you stole the prince's prized stallion?” Arthur snorts. “How did that affect him?”
“Quite a bit,” Eames laughs. “You see, the prince let us know that although the horse was his, the poor animal was his father's favorite and he had no problem selling it off so long as we promised to make sure it would be taken care of.”
“That's amazing,” Ariadne mutters. “Seriously-”
“I have two questions.” Arthur interrupts. “One, is this the same Sophie I met in Paris?”
“Miss Devereaux, yes,” Eames grins. “She and her new team are a rather formidable force. I'm surprised they haven't gone after Saito yet. Nate would love to sink his business.”
Arthur nods at the information before continuing, “two, how did you smuggle a horse out of the palace grounds?”
Eames laughs but shakes his head. “I can't tell you that. You probably wouldn't believe me.”
. . .
Arthur takes a break for a while. He doesn't mean to but the trickle of offers coming his way aren't interesting enough. He does however, make it a point to take a plane to L.A for Phillipa's tenth birthday. He expects it to be a quiet affair but it is not. When he arrives, he is greeted by a wary Yusuf who is covered in what Arthur suspects to be glitter and ribbons.
“Please tell me you've got a job or something.” Yusuf all but begs. “These children will be the death of me.”
Arthur can't help the smile on his face. “No, I'm here for Phillipa. Same as you, I expect?”
“And that makes the gang complete!” Eames walks into the room, wearing a ridiculous pink and purple stringed party hat. “Arthur, dear I thought you'd never come. You usually aren't this late.”
Arthur blinks at the man's presence before shaking off his surprise. “There was traffic.”
“Uncle Arthur!”
Arthur turns just as two children collide with his legs. There are other children in the living room, glancing up at the sight of a new adult. Bending down to exchange hugs with the Cobb children, he asks after their father.
“He's with Aunt Ariadne in the kitchen,” James explains. “They're getting the cake.”
“A very important job,” Arthur nods solemnly. “I'll go see if I can help.”
.
“So how has life been treating you?” Eames asks.
They're alone on the porch, sipping beers and doing their best to ignore the shrieks of laughter from inside. The children have become rowdier with the consumption of cake. Arthur winces when he hears the sound of a crash followed by a loud round of “ooooh”s in perfect unison.
“I'm sorry?” Arthur turns at Eames' expectant look. When he repeats the question Arthur shrugs. “Not bad. Few extractions. People have stopped asking me about inception. I’ve been hired by a couple others to train their employees. You?”
“Pretty much the same,” Eames nods. “Mycroft's been trying to call me back to train his recruits. Told him to piss off.”
“I don't understand why you don't say yes,” Arthur mutters.
“No, you understand perfectly darling.” Eames' voice is suddenly cold and when Arthur glances at him, he sees the hard set to his jaw.
He nods and says nothing.
part ii