Fic: Nothing But Harmless Flirting, Right? (Arthur/Eames) 1/2
Title: Nothing But Harmless Flirting, Right?
Author: Sawsha12
Characters: Arthur/Eames, Cobb, Ariadne, Yusuf
Rating: NC-17
W/C: ~10724
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine
Warning: minor language, angst at some parts, slight dub-con
Summary: Does he want me or is it harmless flirting? That’s what Arthur wants to know. Everyone on the team is convinced that Eames is gay. Fed up with all the teasing, Arthur decides to act on all the shameless flirting. Unfortunately, Eames never been interested in guys.
A/N: Filling this prompt at inception_kink .
By a series of chances, the group reunited at stateside. However, Arthur didn’t believe in chances. It all started when Cobb called.
“Cobb, I thought you were out of this business,” said Arthur over the receiver. He was surprised, to say the least, when Cobb’s name came up on his cell.
“An opportunity presented itself,” said Cobb flatly over the line.
“Since when do you put opportunities above your children?” countered Arthur. This was turning into a game where Arthur had to tease the real reason out of Cobb. He hated that game.
Cobb was silent on the other end, probably thinking of ways to avoid the topic. Arthur was certain. “Do you think you can round up a team?” Cobb asked
Cobb tried to divert Arthur’s attention. Arthur wasn’t going to fall for this. Maybe before the Fischer job - before Inception - he wouldn’t question Cobb. However, ever since Cobb decided to withhold information that jeopardized the team, Arthur ceased to be that naïve.
“I can make the calls and organize a team for you, if you tell me exactly what this is all about. The truth Cobb, or I’m out.”
“The line isn’t secure.”
“That’s too damn bad,” exclaimed Arthur evenly. “Last chance, Cobb.”
Cobb sighed. “Do you remember the Miller Job?”
Arthur stiffened. How could he forget about the Miller job? They shouldn’t ever taken up with Miller. However, they were young in the illegal dream sharing business and they were up to any challenge. That was a job that went terribly wrong and had Arthur in a hospital for months. Cobb had to run for his life.
Cobb continued, “They are offering to wipe the slate clean if we finish what we started with Miller.”
“They shouldn’t have found us. I thought we wiped our tracks clean.” Arthur didn’t sound panicked, but he felt his heart rate increase.
“You did,” said Cobb slowly. “Apparently, I didn’t do a very good job. They found me. You could probably guess that they left me with little choice but to work for them again.”
“What about your children?”
“They will be staying with their grandparents for a few weeks.” Cobb paused. “Will you help me?”
How could Arthur say no when he heard a hint of desperation in Cobb’s tone? Besides, for better or for worst, Arthur still considered Cobb his friend. “Is this another inception?”
“No, it’s a simple extraction.”
Nothing was simple, Arthur almost said, but he kept that to himself. “What do you need in a team?”
“The usual. You, architect, chemist, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a forger.”
Arthur held back a sigh when Cobb mentioned forger. There was only one forger. “Fine, where do you want us to meet and when?” These were minor details for business.
“Los Angeles, say about a week.”
“I’ll do what I can,” said Arthur finally as he jot down the place, date, and time in his planner.
“Thank you,” said Cobb quietly before he cut the line.
Arthur leaned back in his chair, contemplating the other team members. It wasn’t chance that Ariadne, Yusuf, and Eames came to mind. They were the best. He leaned forward to check the time zones and began making calls.
~*~*~
“Darling, I knew you would miss me,” chimed Eames as he entered the warehouse that Arthur managed to lease for the duration of this job.
Arthur was busy setting up the PASIV on the table and dragging lawn chairs in place. He glanced over his shoulder when Eames stepped into the warehouse. “You’re here earlier than expected.”
“Your confidence in my punctuality is much appreciated. Thank you Arthur,” said Eames dryly. He went over and began helping Arthur clear off the workbench.
Arthur arched an eyebrow over at Eames. He wasn’t expecting the forger to help. Eames caught Arthur’s look and chuckled.
“I am subject to manual labor sometimes.” Eames pulled out a laptop and placed it on the table once he cleared the space. “You were very vague in your phone call. Care to tell me about the job?”
Arthur shook his head. “I don’t want to repeat myself. The others should be arriving shortly.”
Eames hummed. “Elusion is very fetching on you, love.”
Arthur gave Eames another strange look. He couldn’t quite decide the reason why Eames was being…playful. He felt unsettled of what that kindness implied.
“Are you at least going to tell me who else is on the team?” asked Eames.
On cue, Ariadne walked in. “Arthur?”
Eames gave Arthur a grin before he went over to the young architect. They exchanged hugs. Then with one arm around Ariadne, Eames led them towards Arthur.
“Thank you for coming,” said Arthur, folding his arms around Ariadne.
“You have a way of making me curious.” Ariadne shrugged. “Beside I have a small break from school.”
“Hello?” Yusuf stuck in his head, eyes shifting around the room.
“Yusuf!” Eames came over and pulled Yusuf in while shaking his hand.
“Good God man, I haven’t seen you in ages,” rushed Yusuf.
“It’s a bloody reunion.” Eames deadpanned. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Arthur, please tell me this isn’t some plan of yours to get us all back together only to have you kill us, right? Because that would be a brilliant plan that I wouldn’t have seen coming. So I would hate to admit that to you if it’s true.”
“What?” Arthur didn’t bother to cover his astonishment over Eames’ statement. “No - God no. Don’t be so melodramatic, Eames.”
Everyone turned to face Arthur, expecting answers. Arthur kept all his calls vague, though they answered him nonetheless. Arthur sighed and settled with leaning against the table. He checked the time. They have 20 minutes.
“I bet you’re wondering who is behind this,” started Arthur.
“That and a little more, pet,” said Eames.
“It’s Cobb.” The group went silent after Arthur’s announcement.
“That…that doesn’t make any sense.” Ariadne was the first to break the silence. She looked puzzled. “He has his children to think about.”
“You could have told this to us over the phone,” stated Yusuf. He shifted to rub his hand over his goatee in thought.
“Would you have come if I said Cobb was the one who organized this?” countered Arthur. He knew the animosity with some of the members were greater than the others.
“You sneaky bastard,” rumbled Eames, his tone surprisingly light with amusement. “I wondered what other talents you have hidden from me, darling.”
Arthur snorted, “Many.”
“Wait a moment here.” Ariadne stepped into the center of their loose circle they formed. Her hands were out in front to draw the attention. She appeared distressed. “Are Cobb’s children being threatened?”
Sometimes Arthur forgot how perceptive Ariadne was. “Something like that,” he said with a nod.
“Why does this all sound familiar?” grumbled Yusuf. “I’ll have you know that I do not want to be placed in mortal danger again. I don’t want to hear the threats of falling into limbo ever again.”
“I understand,” said Arthur, resuming control again. “This was a fault from an old job Cobb and I did way back when that fell to pieces. It’s been implied that his family’s been threatened. He asked for my help, and now I’m asking for yours.”
“Are you in trouble too?” asked Eames suddenly.
Arthur thought Eames had genuine concern, but he brushed that aside. “No.” He paused to take a deep breath. “You do have a choice. Cobb doesn’t know whom I’ve chosen. He will be here soon. Each and every one of you can walk away now.”
“If we all walk away, you’ll be down a team,” Eames pointed out.
Arthur shrugged. “Then I’m down this particular team. I’m running point, I’m going to make certain this runs smoothly and safely for the team.” Arthur waited. It was time for the others to make their decision.
“I’ll help,” said Ariadne with a tentative smile. “I would hate for Cobb’s children to be hurt.”
Arthur returned the smile. He knew Ariadne would agree, knowing that she had a soft spot for Cobb.
“What the hell,” shrugged Eames. “This could be fun working with you guys again. But warn Cobb, no funny business or I’m sitting out.”
Arthur nodded.
They turned to Yusuf, waiting. “Oh, bloody hell,” he said shaking his head. “If I do this, I’m not going under.”
“Agreed,” said Arthur. There wouldn’t be a need for the chemist or the architect to go into the dream. “Looks like we’re a team again.”
~*~*~
Together they came up with a plan to accomplish the objective. From there, they went through their respective assignments. Arthur primarily stayed at his desk pouring over old files he had on Miller and digging up new information. He wanted anything that could be useful.
Arthur fed some of the information to Ariadne so that she could design the dreams. Yusuf remained in his corner with his chemistry set spread over two worktables with the PASIV hissing nearby.
“So we’re going two layers deep this time,” said Yusuf to no one in particular. “This should be simple compared to what we did last time.”
“Just don’t add any sedatives,” responded Arthur drily.
“Ha, bloody ha,” snapped Yusuf, his tone equally as dry as Arthur’s. “However, I do intend to use a sedative - just not as powerful. My hope is to create the second level more stable regardless of what’s happening on the first level.”
Arthur made a noise in the back of his throat in acknowledgment. He trusted Yusuf to do the right thing, but they might still have to do some test runs using the chemicals before going in for Miller. He would make Cobb do that particular task.
“Hey, Yusuf,” called Ariadne from her workstation. “I have a question for you.”
“If it’s anything about designing dreams, I can’t help you there,” stated Yusuf, not looking back at Ariadne as he measured out the chemicals into a beaker.
“It’s not.”
“Then by all means, ask.”
Ariadne paused as if trying to string up a way to introduce the topic. She settled with “You’ve known Eames for a long time.”
That piqued Arthur’s interest as he wondered where Ariadne was going with this.
“Yes,” answered Yusuf slowly. He turned in his seat so that he could see Ariadne. “I can tell you already, he’s not the man for you.”
Ariadne rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I’m getting at, Yusuf.” Then she pursed her lips with annoyance. “Even if I were, why not?”
“Well, it’s simple.” Yusuf wore a toothy grin. “You’re not his type.”
Ariadne’s eyes grew wide like saucers. “I knew it!” she exclaimed. “I knew he’s gay.”
Yusuf sighed. “Now, I didn’t say that…”
“Yusuf, look me in the eyes and tell me that I’m wrong.” Ariadne looked over at Yusuf with a challenging stare with one eyebrow arched.
Yusuf met that challenge for a few seconds before caving. “You’re right. He’s a fruit basket. What brought this on anyways?”
“I always suspected. I saw him flirt with Saito, but I wasn’t certain.” Ariadne smiled.
“You could ask the man,” said Yusuf. “He’s not the type to try to hide who he really is.”
Ariadne laughed. “I think you’ve forgotten that Eames is a forger. It’s his job to hide who he really is.”
“You may have a point there,” conceded Yusuf.
“What about you, Arthur?” Ariadne suddenly turned towards Arthur. “What do you think?”
“I try not to think on that matter,” responded Arthur rather automatically. He suddenly thought he was back in high school again, gossiping about the hottest jock.
“You’ve known Eames for a long time too, Arthur,” pressed Ariadne. “I’m sure you noticed something.”
“Honestly, I haven’t.” Arthur continued to read the file in front of him, hoping the two would get the implication to get back to work.
“How could you not notice, Arthur?” piped Yusuf. “Eames practically flirts with you.”
Arthur snorted. “That’s stupid. He is not flirting with me.”
The door to the warehouse slid open with a clank. Eames stepped in holding a sack and a cup holder. “I can see everyone is working hard here,” he said after a quick glance at the others standing about. “Lunch is up.”
Eames left the sack on the table for Yusuf and Ariadne to sort out their orders. Eames plucked the lone coffee cup and personally delivered it to Arthur. “I made a special stop just for you. It should be how you like it, darling.”
Arthur accepted the coffee. He ignored Ariadne and Yusuf, who were snickering, and took a sip. The coffee was perfect. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” said Eames with a grin as he turned to get his own lunchbox.
As he took another sip of coffee, Arthur thought the whole conversation Ariadne started was ridiculous. However, he couldn’t help being interested in Eames’ sexual preferences. He hated himself for being fascinated. It wasn’t possible for Eames to be interested enough to flirt and tease with him, right?
Arthur forced himself to focus on his research and pushed all other thoughts aside. However, one thought kept resurfacing despite Arthur’s best effort. He wondered how Eames knew how he liked his coffee.
~*~*~
Ignorant was bliss during certain situations. This was one of them. Arthur wished he were still ignorant, but thanks to Ariadne and Yusuf, he was more aware of how Eames acted towards him.
He leaned back in his chair and allowed his head to drop back. Arthur stared at his computer for hours, but he hit a brick wall. He needed more information in order to continue. Unfortunately, Eames had the information, which meant he needed to call him.
Resigning, Arthur picked up his cell and dialed.
“Arthur,” answered Eames after the third ring. His voice lowered into a growl when he said Arthur’s name, causing a shudder down Arthur’s spine. “Do you know what time it is?”
Arthur blinked and gave his computer a quick glance at the time. It was approaching 1 A.M. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was so late,” stammered Arthur, surprised. “You shouldn’t have answered.”
Eames snorted, “And risk your wrath. I don’t think so. Besides, I’ll always answer if it’s you, love.”
Arthur rolled his eyes. What kind of a lame pick-up line was that? He thought with a small smirk, playing at his lips. “Look, I can wait until tomorrow - Er, later today. Go back to sleep.”
“No, no,” quipped Eames. “You called, so it must be important. What can I do to assist you?”
Well, Eames insisted, Arthur thought as he shifted in his chair. “I need the information and details you’ve gathered while you were observing Miller. Do you think you could swing by my hotel room?”
Eames laugh was low and throaty. His voice did a number to Arthur. “Given how late you’re calling me, if I didn’t know better, this is a ploy to get me into your room.”
“That’s not…” Arthur stopped himself before he said something he might regret. He felt his face blush. “Just get your ass over here,” Arthur grounded out.
Eames chuckled. Arthur cut the line and tossed the phone onto the table. He rubbed his eyes, trying to recall if Eames acted like this in all the previous jobs or if he was being ignorant.
~*~*~
“This isn’t working,” said Arthur with frustration as he glared at his computer. “There’s something missing here.”
“What might that be?” asked Eames calmly over at his corner.
“I’ve cracked the encrypted code, but there’s information that’s missing.” Arthur scanned the screen and typed furiously on the keyboard. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Here, let me have a look-see.” Eames came over. Before Arthur had a chance to move aside, Eames had both his arms around him in order to access the keyboard. He leaned in over Arthur’s shoulder to squint at the monitor. He was close enough to rest his chin over Arthur’s shoulder.
Arthur for his part held himself stiffly, resisting the urge to shift in this…embrace? Whatever this was, it made Arthur’s heart race. He didn’t realize how large Eames was. He felt blanketed by the man.
“Here we go.” Eames moved his right hand over to the mouse. In the process his hand grazed lightly over the back of Arthur’s hand. A few clicks later, Eames straightened away from Arthur. “An encryption within an encryption,” he said smugly. “Nothing that I haven’t seen before.”
Arthur let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “I would have gotten that eventually,” said Arthur tightly.
“Of course you would, pet,” said Eames with a serious tone before grinning. “You just want to exercise the opportunity to use me shamelessly. I can see how you are, darling.”
Arthur blinked. He could not think of any response to that and was rendered speechless.
Eames winked and said in a low tone, “Don’t worry, Arthur. I can take it.” With that, Eames walked across the room and sat back in his seat, still grinning.
Arthur swiveled around to face his computer again. He tried to ignore what passed between them. He was almost successful except he couldn’t quite shake the feeling he got when Eames growled his name.
~*~*~
“Arthur, do you want to top or bottom?” asked Eames in passing.
“Excuse me?” Arthur was impressed he kept his voice level. There was nothing wrong with his hearing, but this wasn’t the time for Eames to start flirting. Arthur lowered his gun to his side as he peered around the corner of the building.
Arthur, Eames, and Cobb went through their plan for Miller. They were on the first level of the dream share, running through Ariadne’s maze. Arthur was the dreamer and Cobb was the subject.
Miller, Arthur found out, had militarized his subconscious since their last encounter. So they had to provoke Cobb’s subconscious to provide a more hostile environment. Being the dreamer, Arthur needed to evade the projection long enough for Cobb to extract the information.
The projections were closing in. Both Arthur and Eames scurried into an alleyway. Arthur took a few shots at a moving shadow from where he stood, bringing down two projections.
“Top or bottom?” asked Eames again. He was sporting an impish look, which Arthur found infuriating. Eames pointed at the ladder, which led to the rooftop.
“Top,” answered Arthur as he shouldered his gun and placed his hand on the first step.
Eames wiggled his brows at Arthur. “I knew you’ll top, but I had high hopes you’ll stay at the bottom.”
“I am NOT having this conversation, Eames,” said Arthur sternly.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Eames lightly. One brow arched with amusement. “Here I am thinking of a plan out of this mess. What were you thinking we were talking about, hmm?”
Arthur opted to glare at Eames instead of responding. He started climbing up the ladder and away from Eames.
“Don’t forget to cover me, love,” Eames shouted after him.
Unbelievable, thought Arthur as he climbed. He might have to shoot Eames once he got on top. It would probably make him feel better.
~*~*~
Arthur took a break from the practice runs. Cobb and Eames tested Yusuf’s latest mix of the compound. Eames practically jumped at the idea of slapping Cobb around on the first dream level, while Cobb observed the stability of the second dream level.
Ariadne sat with Arthur, while Yusuf monitored Eames and Cobb’s vitals. “So, Arthur,” began Ariadne, in order to fill in the time. “Eames is pretty much into you.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Arthur. He didn’t want to get into this conversation with Ariadne, but he was too polite to say so.
“Arthur.” Ariadne stressed his name. “Yusuf is right. I’ve never seen a guy flirt so much. It’s obvious.”
“I don’t think he’s flirting, Ariadne,” said Arthur after a moment. He wanted to defuse the topic. “I think Eames is just being…well British,” finished Arthur rather lamely.
Ariadne sighed. “Even I didn’t buy that. So what are you going to do about it?”
Arthur raised his eyebrows, giving Ariadne a sidelong look. “Do about what?”
“All the flirting, of course,” exclaimed Ariadne. She thought Arthur was deliberately being slow. “I know you’re enjoying it because if you weren’t, you would’ve stopped Eames.”
“He’s a harmless flirt.” Arthur tried to defend his position. “Besides, who said I was ever interested?”
“Oh please, I knew something was a little off when you stole that kiss from me.”
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t mean to judge, Arthur,” said Ariadne seriously. “I just know you happen to like Eames too. You’re just more subtle in showing it, that’s all.”
Having the words said to him out loud solidified his feelings. No, he didn’t know when it happened, but he fell into Eames’ flirting trap.
He didn’t think he was that obvious. Anyway, he would deny it to his grave. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Fine, be Mr. Tough Guy who can’t express any feelings,” said Ariande with exasperation. “You really are a stick in the mud.”
“If you ask me, I think you two look good together,” called Yusuf from across the room. He removed his glasses so that he could peer over at Arthur and Ariadne.
“Yeah, well I didn’t ask for your opinion,” snapped Arthur. He suddenly felt ganged up.
“Don’t knock the bloke’s head for helping,” responded Yusuf hauntingly. “I think you should act on all the attention you’re receiving. What’s the worst that could happen? A kiss and a good night’s shag?”
Yes, Arthur had wondered, but he wasn’t going to expand on his thoughts to either Ariadne or Yusuf.
~*~*~
Arthur made the finalization on the plan and scanned over any last minute information. He discovered that Miller made routine visits to a favorite spa. Miller enjoyed receiving full body massages as part of the packaged service. He brought that information to Cobb’s attention and recommended that it would be the best time to strike once they bribe the masseuse.
Eames, also present with Arthur, was hooked to the PASIV, making some final touches on the role he would play in the plan. Since Arthur had to stay late anyways, he opted to stay watch while Eames went under.
The warehouse was quiet, except from the hissing from the PASIV. They were the last to leave for the night. Arthur checked the time; ten minutes left. He stretched and made the decision to run to the nearby coffee joint. He could do something nice for Eames and buy him tea - just this once.
Arthur came back when Eames awoke, taking the IV out from his wrist. He took the line while handing the foam cup to Eames. Silently, Arthur packed the PASIV away.
“What’s this?” asked Eames with genuine bafflement.
“It’s tea,” said Arthur without missing a beat. “It’s tea in a cup to be more specific.” He saw the skepticism on Eames’ expression out of the corner of his eyes. He resisted a sigh. “It’s not poison. I got it from a nearby café. I thought you might want one…” Arthur stopped. He didn’t know why he took the time to explain his motives.
Eames took a sip and hummed with pleasure. “Just how I like it, thank you.”
Arthur hid his smile. Eames knew how Arthur took his coffee; it was only fair that Arthur knew how Eames took his tea.
“I don’t have any change on me at the moment for this lovely cuppa, pet.” Eames stood and came closer to stand next to Arthur. “Perhaps I can pay you back in a more creative way, Arthur.”
Perhaps it was all the damn flirting, or the proximity of Eames, or how Eames growled his name. Arthur had enough. The time to be cautious was thrown out the window as he pushed Eames against the wall and pressed his lips to Eames’.
Too concentrated on kissing Eames, Arthur didn’t notice the forger tensing. Eames held himself rigid and moaned in protest. Before Arthur could register any of these warnings, Eames pushed him roughly aside.
“Bloody hell, Arthur,” snapped Eames, his tone colored with revulsion. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Arthur froze in place, trying to regulate his breathing and heart rate. The look of disgust on Eames’ face said it all.
“I’m not queer,” announced Eames. Arthur remained silent.
Oh God, all that flirting wasn’t real. Distracted by Ariadne and Yusuf’s wild assumption, Arthur’s judgment was skewed. How could he be so stupid, thought Arthur. Then he knew beneath the overwhelming feeling of embarrassment that his heart stung.
“I…” Arthur stopped and closed his eyes. There were so many things he could say to turn this situation around, but he couldn’t work past the lump in his throat. He swallowed his excuses and opened his eyes to see Eames’ defensive stance.
That was all Arthur could tolerate for one night. He pivoted on his heels and marched out of the warehouse without looking back. Once outside, he was able to breathe a bit easier. He stood on the sidewalk and concentrated on breathing. He knew Eames wasn’t going to follow after him.
Arthur looked up into the dark sky and blinked a few times. He needed a drink. No, he needed to get drunk - utterly and completely drunk and forget. He wanted to run away from all this…
Part Two
Author: Sawsha12
Characters: Arthur/Eames, Cobb, Ariadne, Yusuf
Rating: NC-17
W/C: ~10724
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine
Warning: minor language, angst at some parts, slight dub-con
Summary: Does he want me or is it harmless flirting? That’s what Arthur wants to know. Everyone on the team is convinced that Eames is gay. Fed up with all the teasing, Arthur decides to act on all the shameless flirting. Unfortunately, Eames never been interested in guys.
A/N: Filling this prompt at inception_kink .
By a series of chances, the group reunited at stateside. However, Arthur didn’t believe in chances. It all started when Cobb called.
“Cobb, I thought you were out of this business,” said Arthur over the receiver. He was surprised, to say the least, when Cobb’s name came up on his cell.
“An opportunity presented itself,” said Cobb flatly over the line.
“Since when do you put opportunities above your children?” countered Arthur. This was turning into a game where Arthur had to tease the real reason out of Cobb. He hated that game.
Cobb was silent on the other end, probably thinking of ways to avoid the topic. Arthur was certain. “Do you think you can round up a team?” Cobb asked
Cobb tried to divert Arthur’s attention. Arthur wasn’t going to fall for this. Maybe before the Fischer job - before Inception - he wouldn’t question Cobb. However, ever since Cobb decided to withhold information that jeopardized the team, Arthur ceased to be that naïve.
“I can make the calls and organize a team for you, if you tell me exactly what this is all about. The truth Cobb, or I’m out.”
“The line isn’t secure.”
“That’s too damn bad,” exclaimed Arthur evenly. “Last chance, Cobb.”
Cobb sighed. “Do you remember the Miller Job?”
Arthur stiffened. How could he forget about the Miller job? They shouldn’t ever taken up with Miller. However, they were young in the illegal dream sharing business and they were up to any challenge. That was a job that went terribly wrong and had Arthur in a hospital for months. Cobb had to run for his life.
Cobb continued, “They are offering to wipe the slate clean if we finish what we started with Miller.”
“They shouldn’t have found us. I thought we wiped our tracks clean.” Arthur didn’t sound panicked, but he felt his heart rate increase.
“You did,” said Cobb slowly. “Apparently, I didn’t do a very good job. They found me. You could probably guess that they left me with little choice but to work for them again.”
“What about your children?”
“They will be staying with their grandparents for a few weeks.” Cobb paused. “Will you help me?”
How could Arthur say no when he heard a hint of desperation in Cobb’s tone? Besides, for better or for worst, Arthur still considered Cobb his friend. “Is this another inception?”
“No, it’s a simple extraction.”
Nothing was simple, Arthur almost said, but he kept that to himself. “What do you need in a team?”
“The usual. You, architect, chemist, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a forger.”
Arthur held back a sigh when Cobb mentioned forger. There was only one forger. “Fine, where do you want us to meet and when?” These were minor details for business.
“Los Angeles, say about a week.”
“I’ll do what I can,” said Arthur finally as he jot down the place, date, and time in his planner.
“Thank you,” said Cobb quietly before he cut the line.
Arthur leaned back in his chair, contemplating the other team members. It wasn’t chance that Ariadne, Yusuf, and Eames came to mind. They were the best. He leaned forward to check the time zones and began making calls.
~*~*~
“Darling, I knew you would miss me,” chimed Eames as he entered the warehouse that Arthur managed to lease for the duration of this job.
Arthur was busy setting up the PASIV on the table and dragging lawn chairs in place. He glanced over his shoulder when Eames stepped into the warehouse. “You’re here earlier than expected.”
“Your confidence in my punctuality is much appreciated. Thank you Arthur,” said Eames dryly. He went over and began helping Arthur clear off the workbench.
Arthur arched an eyebrow over at Eames. He wasn’t expecting the forger to help. Eames caught Arthur’s look and chuckled.
“I am subject to manual labor sometimes.” Eames pulled out a laptop and placed it on the table once he cleared the space. “You were very vague in your phone call. Care to tell me about the job?”
Arthur shook his head. “I don’t want to repeat myself. The others should be arriving shortly.”
Eames hummed. “Elusion is very fetching on you, love.”
Arthur gave Eames another strange look. He couldn’t quite decide the reason why Eames was being…playful. He felt unsettled of what that kindness implied.
“Are you at least going to tell me who else is on the team?” asked Eames.
On cue, Ariadne walked in. “Arthur?”
Eames gave Arthur a grin before he went over to the young architect. They exchanged hugs. Then with one arm around Ariadne, Eames led them towards Arthur.
“Thank you for coming,” said Arthur, folding his arms around Ariadne.
“You have a way of making me curious.” Ariadne shrugged. “Beside I have a small break from school.”
“Hello?” Yusuf stuck in his head, eyes shifting around the room.
“Yusuf!” Eames came over and pulled Yusuf in while shaking his hand.
“Good God man, I haven’t seen you in ages,” rushed Yusuf.
“It’s a bloody reunion.” Eames deadpanned. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Arthur, please tell me this isn’t some plan of yours to get us all back together only to have you kill us, right? Because that would be a brilliant plan that I wouldn’t have seen coming. So I would hate to admit that to you if it’s true.”
“What?” Arthur didn’t bother to cover his astonishment over Eames’ statement. “No - God no. Don’t be so melodramatic, Eames.”
Everyone turned to face Arthur, expecting answers. Arthur kept all his calls vague, though they answered him nonetheless. Arthur sighed and settled with leaning against the table. He checked the time. They have 20 minutes.
“I bet you’re wondering who is behind this,” started Arthur.
“That and a little more, pet,” said Eames.
“It’s Cobb.” The group went silent after Arthur’s announcement.
“That…that doesn’t make any sense.” Ariadne was the first to break the silence. She looked puzzled. “He has his children to think about.”
“You could have told this to us over the phone,” stated Yusuf. He shifted to rub his hand over his goatee in thought.
“Would you have come if I said Cobb was the one who organized this?” countered Arthur. He knew the animosity with some of the members were greater than the others.
“You sneaky bastard,” rumbled Eames, his tone surprisingly light with amusement. “I wondered what other talents you have hidden from me, darling.”
Arthur snorted, “Many.”
“Wait a moment here.” Ariadne stepped into the center of their loose circle they formed. Her hands were out in front to draw the attention. She appeared distressed. “Are Cobb’s children being threatened?”
Sometimes Arthur forgot how perceptive Ariadne was. “Something like that,” he said with a nod.
“Why does this all sound familiar?” grumbled Yusuf. “I’ll have you know that I do not want to be placed in mortal danger again. I don’t want to hear the threats of falling into limbo ever again.”
“I understand,” said Arthur, resuming control again. “This was a fault from an old job Cobb and I did way back when that fell to pieces. It’s been implied that his family’s been threatened. He asked for my help, and now I’m asking for yours.”
“Are you in trouble too?” asked Eames suddenly.
Arthur thought Eames had genuine concern, but he brushed that aside. “No.” He paused to take a deep breath. “You do have a choice. Cobb doesn’t know whom I’ve chosen. He will be here soon. Each and every one of you can walk away now.”
“If we all walk away, you’ll be down a team,” Eames pointed out.
Arthur shrugged. “Then I’m down this particular team. I’m running point, I’m going to make certain this runs smoothly and safely for the team.” Arthur waited. It was time for the others to make their decision.
“I’ll help,” said Ariadne with a tentative smile. “I would hate for Cobb’s children to be hurt.”
Arthur returned the smile. He knew Ariadne would agree, knowing that she had a soft spot for Cobb.
“What the hell,” shrugged Eames. “This could be fun working with you guys again. But warn Cobb, no funny business or I’m sitting out.”
Arthur nodded.
They turned to Yusuf, waiting. “Oh, bloody hell,” he said shaking his head. “If I do this, I’m not going under.”
“Agreed,” said Arthur. There wouldn’t be a need for the chemist or the architect to go into the dream. “Looks like we’re a team again.”
~*~*~
Together they came up with a plan to accomplish the objective. From there, they went through their respective assignments. Arthur primarily stayed at his desk pouring over old files he had on Miller and digging up new information. He wanted anything that could be useful.
Arthur fed some of the information to Ariadne so that she could design the dreams. Yusuf remained in his corner with his chemistry set spread over two worktables with the PASIV hissing nearby.
“So we’re going two layers deep this time,” said Yusuf to no one in particular. “This should be simple compared to what we did last time.”
“Just don’t add any sedatives,” responded Arthur drily.
“Ha, bloody ha,” snapped Yusuf, his tone equally as dry as Arthur’s. “However, I do intend to use a sedative - just not as powerful. My hope is to create the second level more stable regardless of what’s happening on the first level.”
Arthur made a noise in the back of his throat in acknowledgment. He trusted Yusuf to do the right thing, but they might still have to do some test runs using the chemicals before going in for Miller. He would make Cobb do that particular task.
“Hey, Yusuf,” called Ariadne from her workstation. “I have a question for you.”
“If it’s anything about designing dreams, I can’t help you there,” stated Yusuf, not looking back at Ariadne as he measured out the chemicals into a beaker.
“It’s not.”
“Then by all means, ask.”
Ariadne paused as if trying to string up a way to introduce the topic. She settled with “You’ve known Eames for a long time.”
That piqued Arthur’s interest as he wondered where Ariadne was going with this.
“Yes,” answered Yusuf slowly. He turned in his seat so that he could see Ariadne. “I can tell you already, he’s not the man for you.”
Ariadne rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I’m getting at, Yusuf.” Then she pursed her lips with annoyance. “Even if I were, why not?”
“Well, it’s simple.” Yusuf wore a toothy grin. “You’re not his type.”
Ariadne’s eyes grew wide like saucers. “I knew it!” she exclaimed. “I knew he’s gay.”
Yusuf sighed. “Now, I didn’t say that…”
“Yusuf, look me in the eyes and tell me that I’m wrong.” Ariadne looked over at Yusuf with a challenging stare with one eyebrow arched.
Yusuf met that challenge for a few seconds before caving. “You’re right. He’s a fruit basket. What brought this on anyways?”
“I always suspected. I saw him flirt with Saito, but I wasn’t certain.” Ariadne smiled.
“You could ask the man,” said Yusuf. “He’s not the type to try to hide who he really is.”
Ariadne laughed. “I think you’ve forgotten that Eames is a forger. It’s his job to hide who he really is.”
“You may have a point there,” conceded Yusuf.
“What about you, Arthur?” Ariadne suddenly turned towards Arthur. “What do you think?”
“I try not to think on that matter,” responded Arthur rather automatically. He suddenly thought he was back in high school again, gossiping about the hottest jock.
“You’ve known Eames for a long time too, Arthur,” pressed Ariadne. “I’m sure you noticed something.”
“Honestly, I haven’t.” Arthur continued to read the file in front of him, hoping the two would get the implication to get back to work.
“How could you not notice, Arthur?” piped Yusuf. “Eames practically flirts with you.”
Arthur snorted. “That’s stupid. He is not flirting with me.”
The door to the warehouse slid open with a clank. Eames stepped in holding a sack and a cup holder. “I can see everyone is working hard here,” he said after a quick glance at the others standing about. “Lunch is up.”
Eames left the sack on the table for Yusuf and Ariadne to sort out their orders. Eames plucked the lone coffee cup and personally delivered it to Arthur. “I made a special stop just for you. It should be how you like it, darling.”
Arthur accepted the coffee. He ignored Ariadne and Yusuf, who were snickering, and took a sip. The coffee was perfect. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” said Eames with a grin as he turned to get his own lunchbox.
As he took another sip of coffee, Arthur thought the whole conversation Ariadne started was ridiculous. However, he couldn’t help being interested in Eames’ sexual preferences. He hated himself for being fascinated. It wasn’t possible for Eames to be interested enough to flirt and tease with him, right?
Arthur forced himself to focus on his research and pushed all other thoughts aside. However, one thought kept resurfacing despite Arthur’s best effort. He wondered how Eames knew how he liked his coffee.
~*~*~
Ignorant was bliss during certain situations. This was one of them. Arthur wished he were still ignorant, but thanks to Ariadne and Yusuf, he was more aware of how Eames acted towards him.
He leaned back in his chair and allowed his head to drop back. Arthur stared at his computer for hours, but he hit a brick wall. He needed more information in order to continue. Unfortunately, Eames had the information, which meant he needed to call him.
Resigning, Arthur picked up his cell and dialed.
“Arthur,” answered Eames after the third ring. His voice lowered into a growl when he said Arthur’s name, causing a shudder down Arthur’s spine. “Do you know what time it is?”
Arthur blinked and gave his computer a quick glance at the time. It was approaching 1 A.M. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was so late,” stammered Arthur, surprised. “You shouldn’t have answered.”
Eames snorted, “And risk your wrath. I don’t think so. Besides, I’ll always answer if it’s you, love.”
Arthur rolled his eyes. What kind of a lame pick-up line was that? He thought with a small smirk, playing at his lips. “Look, I can wait until tomorrow - Er, later today. Go back to sleep.”
“No, no,” quipped Eames. “You called, so it must be important. What can I do to assist you?”
Well, Eames insisted, Arthur thought as he shifted in his chair. “I need the information and details you’ve gathered while you were observing Miller. Do you think you could swing by my hotel room?”
Eames laugh was low and throaty. His voice did a number to Arthur. “Given how late you’re calling me, if I didn’t know better, this is a ploy to get me into your room.”
“That’s not…” Arthur stopped himself before he said something he might regret. He felt his face blush. “Just get your ass over here,” Arthur grounded out.
Eames chuckled. Arthur cut the line and tossed the phone onto the table. He rubbed his eyes, trying to recall if Eames acted like this in all the previous jobs or if he was being ignorant.
~*~*~
“This isn’t working,” said Arthur with frustration as he glared at his computer. “There’s something missing here.”
“What might that be?” asked Eames calmly over at his corner.
“I’ve cracked the encrypted code, but there’s information that’s missing.” Arthur scanned the screen and typed furiously on the keyboard. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Here, let me have a look-see.” Eames came over. Before Arthur had a chance to move aside, Eames had both his arms around him in order to access the keyboard. He leaned in over Arthur’s shoulder to squint at the monitor. He was close enough to rest his chin over Arthur’s shoulder.
Arthur for his part held himself stiffly, resisting the urge to shift in this…embrace? Whatever this was, it made Arthur’s heart race. He didn’t realize how large Eames was. He felt blanketed by the man.
“Here we go.” Eames moved his right hand over to the mouse. In the process his hand grazed lightly over the back of Arthur’s hand. A few clicks later, Eames straightened away from Arthur. “An encryption within an encryption,” he said smugly. “Nothing that I haven’t seen before.”
Arthur let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “I would have gotten that eventually,” said Arthur tightly.
“Of course you would, pet,” said Eames with a serious tone before grinning. “You just want to exercise the opportunity to use me shamelessly. I can see how you are, darling.”
Arthur blinked. He could not think of any response to that and was rendered speechless.
Eames winked and said in a low tone, “Don’t worry, Arthur. I can take it.” With that, Eames walked across the room and sat back in his seat, still grinning.
Arthur swiveled around to face his computer again. He tried to ignore what passed between them. He was almost successful except he couldn’t quite shake the feeling he got when Eames growled his name.
~*~*~
“Arthur, do you want to top or bottom?” asked Eames in passing.
“Excuse me?” Arthur was impressed he kept his voice level. There was nothing wrong with his hearing, but this wasn’t the time for Eames to start flirting. Arthur lowered his gun to his side as he peered around the corner of the building.
Arthur, Eames, and Cobb went through their plan for Miller. They were on the first level of the dream share, running through Ariadne’s maze. Arthur was the dreamer and Cobb was the subject.
Miller, Arthur found out, had militarized his subconscious since their last encounter. So they had to provoke Cobb’s subconscious to provide a more hostile environment. Being the dreamer, Arthur needed to evade the projection long enough for Cobb to extract the information.
The projections were closing in. Both Arthur and Eames scurried into an alleyway. Arthur took a few shots at a moving shadow from where he stood, bringing down two projections.
“Top or bottom?” asked Eames again. He was sporting an impish look, which Arthur found infuriating. Eames pointed at the ladder, which led to the rooftop.
“Top,” answered Arthur as he shouldered his gun and placed his hand on the first step.
Eames wiggled his brows at Arthur. “I knew you’ll top, but I had high hopes you’ll stay at the bottom.”
“I am NOT having this conversation, Eames,” said Arthur sternly.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Eames lightly. One brow arched with amusement. “Here I am thinking of a plan out of this mess. What were you thinking we were talking about, hmm?”
Arthur opted to glare at Eames instead of responding. He started climbing up the ladder and away from Eames.
“Don’t forget to cover me, love,” Eames shouted after him.
Unbelievable, thought Arthur as he climbed. He might have to shoot Eames once he got on top. It would probably make him feel better.
~*~*~
Arthur took a break from the practice runs. Cobb and Eames tested Yusuf’s latest mix of the compound. Eames practically jumped at the idea of slapping Cobb around on the first dream level, while Cobb observed the stability of the second dream level.
Ariadne sat with Arthur, while Yusuf monitored Eames and Cobb’s vitals. “So, Arthur,” began Ariadne, in order to fill in the time. “Eames is pretty much into you.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Arthur. He didn’t want to get into this conversation with Ariadne, but he was too polite to say so.
“Arthur.” Ariadne stressed his name. “Yusuf is right. I’ve never seen a guy flirt so much. It’s obvious.”
“I don’t think he’s flirting, Ariadne,” said Arthur after a moment. He wanted to defuse the topic. “I think Eames is just being…well British,” finished Arthur rather lamely.
Ariadne sighed. “Even I didn’t buy that. So what are you going to do about it?”
Arthur raised his eyebrows, giving Ariadne a sidelong look. “Do about what?”
“All the flirting, of course,” exclaimed Ariadne. She thought Arthur was deliberately being slow. “I know you’re enjoying it because if you weren’t, you would’ve stopped Eames.”
“He’s a harmless flirt.” Arthur tried to defend his position. “Besides, who said I was ever interested?”
“Oh please, I knew something was a little off when you stole that kiss from me.”
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t mean to judge, Arthur,” said Ariadne seriously. “I just know you happen to like Eames too. You’re just more subtle in showing it, that’s all.”
Having the words said to him out loud solidified his feelings. No, he didn’t know when it happened, but he fell into Eames’ flirting trap.
He didn’t think he was that obvious. Anyway, he would deny it to his grave. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Fine, be Mr. Tough Guy who can’t express any feelings,” said Ariande with exasperation. “You really are a stick in the mud.”
“If you ask me, I think you two look good together,” called Yusuf from across the room. He removed his glasses so that he could peer over at Arthur and Ariadne.
“Yeah, well I didn’t ask for your opinion,” snapped Arthur. He suddenly felt ganged up.
“Don’t knock the bloke’s head for helping,” responded Yusuf hauntingly. “I think you should act on all the attention you’re receiving. What’s the worst that could happen? A kiss and a good night’s shag?”
Yes, Arthur had wondered, but he wasn’t going to expand on his thoughts to either Ariadne or Yusuf.
~*~*~
Arthur made the finalization on the plan and scanned over any last minute information. He discovered that Miller made routine visits to a favorite spa. Miller enjoyed receiving full body massages as part of the packaged service. He brought that information to Cobb’s attention and recommended that it would be the best time to strike once they bribe the masseuse.
Eames, also present with Arthur, was hooked to the PASIV, making some final touches on the role he would play in the plan. Since Arthur had to stay late anyways, he opted to stay watch while Eames went under.
The warehouse was quiet, except from the hissing from the PASIV. They were the last to leave for the night. Arthur checked the time; ten minutes left. He stretched and made the decision to run to the nearby coffee joint. He could do something nice for Eames and buy him tea - just this once.
Arthur came back when Eames awoke, taking the IV out from his wrist. He took the line while handing the foam cup to Eames. Silently, Arthur packed the PASIV away.
“What’s this?” asked Eames with genuine bafflement.
“It’s tea,” said Arthur without missing a beat. “It’s tea in a cup to be more specific.” He saw the skepticism on Eames’ expression out of the corner of his eyes. He resisted a sigh. “It’s not poison. I got it from a nearby café. I thought you might want one…” Arthur stopped. He didn’t know why he took the time to explain his motives.
Eames took a sip and hummed with pleasure. “Just how I like it, thank you.”
Arthur hid his smile. Eames knew how Arthur took his coffee; it was only fair that Arthur knew how Eames took his tea.
“I don’t have any change on me at the moment for this lovely cuppa, pet.” Eames stood and came closer to stand next to Arthur. “Perhaps I can pay you back in a more creative way, Arthur.”
Perhaps it was all the damn flirting, or the proximity of Eames, or how Eames growled his name. Arthur had enough. The time to be cautious was thrown out the window as he pushed Eames against the wall and pressed his lips to Eames’.
Too concentrated on kissing Eames, Arthur didn’t notice the forger tensing. Eames held himself rigid and moaned in protest. Before Arthur could register any of these warnings, Eames pushed him roughly aside.
“Bloody hell, Arthur,” snapped Eames, his tone colored with revulsion. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Arthur froze in place, trying to regulate his breathing and heart rate. The look of disgust on Eames’ face said it all.
“I’m not queer,” announced Eames. Arthur remained silent.
Oh God, all that flirting wasn’t real. Distracted by Ariadne and Yusuf’s wild assumption, Arthur’s judgment was skewed. How could he be so stupid, thought Arthur. Then he knew beneath the overwhelming feeling of embarrassment that his heart stung.
“I…” Arthur stopped and closed his eyes. There were so many things he could say to turn this situation around, but he couldn’t work past the lump in his throat. He swallowed his excuses and opened his eyes to see Eames’ defensive stance.
That was all Arthur could tolerate for one night. He pivoted on his heels and marched out of the warehouse without looking back. Once outside, he was able to breathe a bit easier. He stood on the sidewalk and concentrated on breathing. He knew Eames wasn’t going to follow after him.
Arthur looked up into the dark sky and blinked a few times. He needed a drink. No, he needed to get drunk - utterly and completely drunk and forget. He wanted to run away from all this…
Part Two