047
Title: Yellow
Chapter: 4/11
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inception.
Pairing/Characters: Arthur/Eames, Phillipa, Mal, James
Summary: In which Eames is confused, Phillipa hugs a caterpillar, and Arthur relaxes.
Author’s Note: So yeah, nothing really to say. Except I would like to be able to sleep again, Fic. Thank you so much.
Previous Part(s): One Two Three
“What happened?” Eames questions finally. He sits up, hands resting on his knees. Arthur approaches slowly, sinks onto the bed next to him. Eames hesitates a moment before his arm wraps around Arthur’s shoulders. “Arthur?”
Arthur’s shoulders relax slightly and he half turns to Eames. “Cobb said there was an accident,” his voice is flat. Eames knows that tone; it’s the same tone he uses when he thinks Eames is exaggerating. Disbelief. “Cobb couldn’t get a hold of her so he went to check on her. He found James crying and Mal passed out in bed.”
Eames frowns. “Passed out? Do they know what was wrong?”
“She was having trouble sleeping. Cobb found a pill bottle next to her, empty.” Arthur runs a hand through his hair, sighs, and then straightens his shoulders.
“Bloody hell,” Eames groans. “Does Cobb need us to pick up James?”
Arthur shakes his head. He leans into Eames for a moment before standing. “No, Cobb’s on his way over with James and an overnight bag.” He hesitates at the door and looks back at Eames. “I’m going to pull out the sofa bed in the office. Are you staying?”
Eames snorts. “Of course. I’m not going to leave you alone with two ankle-biters.” He falls back on the bed. “Besides, your bed was always the most comfortable.” Arthur snorts as he leaves the room. Eames waits until he hears the office door open before he lets the smile slip from his face.
--
Cobb arrives twenty minutes later.
James is asleep on his shoulder. His socks have been replaced with mittens that look to be taped around his wrists. Cobb’s face is grey, his mouth set into a line. Phillipa comes pelting through the living room door when she hears him greet Arthur. Eames arrives in time to see Arthur taking James from Cobb so he can pick up his daughter.
Arthur strides past Eames, spares him a small smile, and disappears into the small office. He returns a few minutes later, child free. Cobb holds Phillipa, smiles at her. “Look what Eames got me, Daddy.”
“That’s pretty. Have you been good?”
“Yeah.” She smiles brightly and tugs at his collar. “Are we going home now, Daddy?”
“No, Phillipa. You’re going to have to stay here tonight, with your brother.”
“Why?” Her face pulls into a tight frown. “I want to go home with you and Mommy.”
“No, Phillipa. You like it here at Uncle Arthur’s, right? And you’re having fun.” He crouches and sets her on the ground. His hands rest on her shoulders as he looks her in the eye. “I brought you some toys, and the movie with the dinosaurs. You’ll have fun.”
“Yeah, Pippa,” Eames echoed. “We’ll make banana sundaes and popcorn and watch your movie, and stay up late so that Arthur can actually sleep in for once.”
“I sleep in!” Arthur protests.
Phillipa sucks in her bottom lip. “What about you and Mommy? Won’t you miss me?”
“Of course, Sweetheart. We’ll miss both of you, but Mommy’s not well. Mommy has to go to the doctor’s.”
“Does she have chicken pox too?”
“No, she doesn’t.” He kisses her forehead and stands. “I have to get back to check on Mommy now. I love you, Phillipa.”
“Come on, Phillipa. Show me this movie of yours.” Eames takes her hand in one hand, the overnight bag in another.
She hesitates a moment. “Okay, Daddy. I love you too. Make sure Mommy takes her med-cine.” She lets Eames lead her down the hall. “This is a good movie, can we watch it now?” Eames chuckles as they disappear into the kitchen.
Arthur looks at Cobb. “How is she?”
“Stable, they said.” His voice cracks and he takes a deep breath. “It was an accident, Arthur.” Arthur nods and bites his tongue. “Thank you. I packed their pajamas and James’ medicine in the bag Eames took.”
“It’s okay, Dom,” Arthur says. He clasps a hand to Cobb’s shoulder. “No problem. Let us know if anything changes.”
Cobb nods. He hesitates a moment before turning and exiting the apartment. Arthur sighs as he locks the door behind him.
--
“Budge up, Darling.” Arthur narrows his eyes but scoots over obligingly. Eames flops down into the vacated spot, the bowl of fresh made popcorn in his lap. Phillipa has her arms wrapped around the pink and green stuffed caterpillar Mal got her for her last birthday. James is still asleep in the office. “Hey, didn’t we watch this one earlier?”
“No,” Phillipa replies. She reaches in and grabs a handful of popcorn.
“I distinctly remember that squirrel.”
Arthur makes an exasperated noise. Eames opens his mouth to reply but Arthur stuffs a handful of popcorn into it. “Will you just be quiet?” he hisses.
Eames mutters under his breath. Phillipa doesn’t seem to notice. She squishes in against his side to have better access to the popcorn. Arthur settles back into the couch, feet propped on the coffee table. Arthur leans back into Eames’s right arm. Eames grins the few times he catches Arthur’s quiet chuckles beneath Phillipa’s giggles.
“Okay, I may not be any good at math, but I was pretty good with history. And that is totally wrong,” Eames exclaims once the popcorn is all gone. Arthur raises an eyebrow at him. “Dinosaurs were not around with mammoths or sloths or saber toothed tigers or nut obsessed squirrels!”
“Eames, it’s a cartoon, for children,” Arthur protests. He half turns and the arm Eames has wrapped around his shoulders slips off. “Name one accurate children’s cartoon.”
Phillipa turns to look at Eames as well. “They live under the ice. Nobody knows they’re there.” Her face turns thoughtful. “Uncle Arthur, are there still dinosaurs underground?”
“No, Phillipa. Dinosaurs have been extinct for a long, long time.”
“What does ex stink mean?”
“It means dead, gone,” Eames answers. Arthur narrows his eyes at him and Eames plasters on his most innocent expression.
Phillipa turns this over in her head. Then she snorts and lies down, head resting on the caterpillar. “No, they’re still here,” she responds. Her eyes are getting heavier, are already half closed.
“Let it go,” Arthur whispers into Eames’s ear. His breath tickles and makes the older man shudder.
“Honestly, Darling, I thought you’d be more worked up about this,” Eames murmurs. “You do love accuracy.”
“Not in my cartoons,” he mumbles back. Eames smirks back.
“Good to know.” He grabs the blanket off the back of the sofa and drapes it over Phillipa. She doesn’t stir. “Tell me, does that squirrel ever get the bloody nut?” Arthur chuckles and rests his head on Eames’ shoulder.
Chapter: 4/11
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inception.
Pairing/Characters: Arthur/Eames, Phillipa, Mal, James
Summary: In which Eames is confused, Phillipa hugs a caterpillar, and Arthur relaxes.
Author’s Note: So yeah, nothing really to say. Except I would like to be able to sleep again, Fic. Thank you so much.
Previous Part(s): One Two Three
“What happened?” Eames questions finally. He sits up, hands resting on his knees. Arthur approaches slowly, sinks onto the bed next to him. Eames hesitates a moment before his arm wraps around Arthur’s shoulders. “Arthur?”
Arthur’s shoulders relax slightly and he half turns to Eames. “Cobb said there was an accident,” his voice is flat. Eames knows that tone; it’s the same tone he uses when he thinks Eames is exaggerating. Disbelief. “Cobb couldn’t get a hold of her so he went to check on her. He found James crying and Mal passed out in bed.”
Eames frowns. “Passed out? Do they know what was wrong?”
“She was having trouble sleeping. Cobb found a pill bottle next to her, empty.” Arthur runs a hand through his hair, sighs, and then straightens his shoulders.
“Bloody hell,” Eames groans. “Does Cobb need us to pick up James?”
Arthur shakes his head. He leans into Eames for a moment before standing. “No, Cobb’s on his way over with James and an overnight bag.” He hesitates at the door and looks back at Eames. “I’m going to pull out the sofa bed in the office. Are you staying?”
Eames snorts. “Of course. I’m not going to leave you alone with two ankle-biters.” He falls back on the bed. “Besides, your bed was always the most comfortable.” Arthur snorts as he leaves the room. Eames waits until he hears the office door open before he lets the smile slip from his face.
--
Cobb arrives twenty minutes later.
James is asleep on his shoulder. His socks have been replaced with mittens that look to be taped around his wrists. Cobb’s face is grey, his mouth set into a line. Phillipa comes pelting through the living room door when she hears him greet Arthur. Eames arrives in time to see Arthur taking James from Cobb so he can pick up his daughter.
Arthur strides past Eames, spares him a small smile, and disappears into the small office. He returns a few minutes later, child free. Cobb holds Phillipa, smiles at her. “Look what Eames got me, Daddy.”
“That’s pretty. Have you been good?”
“Yeah.” She smiles brightly and tugs at his collar. “Are we going home now, Daddy?”
“No, Phillipa. You’re going to have to stay here tonight, with your brother.”
“Why?” Her face pulls into a tight frown. “I want to go home with you and Mommy.”
“No, Phillipa. You like it here at Uncle Arthur’s, right? And you’re having fun.” He crouches and sets her on the ground. His hands rest on her shoulders as he looks her in the eye. “I brought you some toys, and the movie with the dinosaurs. You’ll have fun.”
“Yeah, Pippa,” Eames echoed. “We’ll make banana sundaes and popcorn and watch your movie, and stay up late so that Arthur can actually sleep in for once.”
“I sleep in!” Arthur protests.
Phillipa sucks in her bottom lip. “What about you and Mommy? Won’t you miss me?”
“Of course, Sweetheart. We’ll miss both of you, but Mommy’s not well. Mommy has to go to the doctor’s.”
“Does she have chicken pox too?”
“No, she doesn’t.” He kisses her forehead and stands. “I have to get back to check on Mommy now. I love you, Phillipa.”
“Come on, Phillipa. Show me this movie of yours.” Eames takes her hand in one hand, the overnight bag in another.
She hesitates a moment. “Okay, Daddy. I love you too. Make sure Mommy takes her med-cine.” She lets Eames lead her down the hall. “This is a good movie, can we watch it now?” Eames chuckles as they disappear into the kitchen.
Arthur looks at Cobb. “How is she?”
“Stable, they said.” His voice cracks and he takes a deep breath. “It was an accident, Arthur.” Arthur nods and bites his tongue. “Thank you. I packed their pajamas and James’ medicine in the bag Eames took.”
“It’s okay, Dom,” Arthur says. He clasps a hand to Cobb’s shoulder. “No problem. Let us know if anything changes.”
Cobb nods. He hesitates a moment before turning and exiting the apartment. Arthur sighs as he locks the door behind him.
--
“Budge up, Darling.” Arthur narrows his eyes but scoots over obligingly. Eames flops down into the vacated spot, the bowl of fresh made popcorn in his lap. Phillipa has her arms wrapped around the pink and green stuffed caterpillar Mal got her for her last birthday. James is still asleep in the office. “Hey, didn’t we watch this one earlier?”
“No,” Phillipa replies. She reaches in and grabs a handful of popcorn.
“I distinctly remember that squirrel.”
Arthur makes an exasperated noise. Eames opens his mouth to reply but Arthur stuffs a handful of popcorn into it. “Will you just be quiet?” he hisses.
Eames mutters under his breath. Phillipa doesn’t seem to notice. She squishes in against his side to have better access to the popcorn. Arthur settles back into the couch, feet propped on the coffee table. Arthur leans back into Eames’s right arm. Eames grins the few times he catches Arthur’s quiet chuckles beneath Phillipa’s giggles.
“Okay, I may not be any good at math, but I was pretty good with history. And that is totally wrong,” Eames exclaims once the popcorn is all gone. Arthur raises an eyebrow at him. “Dinosaurs were not around with mammoths or sloths or saber toothed tigers or nut obsessed squirrels!”
“Eames, it’s a cartoon, for children,” Arthur protests. He half turns and the arm Eames has wrapped around his shoulders slips off. “Name one accurate children’s cartoon.”
Phillipa turns to look at Eames as well. “They live under the ice. Nobody knows they’re there.” Her face turns thoughtful. “Uncle Arthur, are there still dinosaurs underground?”
“No, Phillipa. Dinosaurs have been extinct for a long, long time.”
“What does ex stink mean?”
“It means dead, gone,” Eames answers. Arthur narrows his eyes at him and Eames plasters on his most innocent expression.
Phillipa turns this over in her head. Then she snorts and lies down, head resting on the caterpillar. “No, they’re still here,” she responds. Her eyes are getting heavier, are already half closed.
“Let it go,” Arthur whispers into Eames’s ear. His breath tickles and makes the older man shudder.
“Honestly, Darling, I thought you’d be more worked up about this,” Eames murmurs. “You do love accuracy.”
“Not in my cartoons,” he mumbles back. Eames smirks back.
“Good to know.” He grabs the blanket off the back of the sofa and drapes it over Phillipa. She doesn’t stir. “Tell me, does that squirrel ever get the bloody nut?” Arthur chuckles and rests his head on Eames’ shoulder.