25. When You Grow Up Your Heart 10/20
Fandom: Inception x Dark!Breakfast Club
Pairing(s): Arthur/Eames, Cobb/Mal
Summary: They went into detention with nothing in common. They witnessed something frightening that may or may not have actually happened: a dead body and blood on the walls spelling 528491. Can a nerd, a jock, a criminal, a pampered prince and basket case, brave crossing the social cliques in order to stick together and solve this mystery?
previous parts can be found by clicking "breakfast club" in the tags.
“What do you mean, it just disappeared?” Cobb asked in outrage.The breakfast club had converged on the flagpole after a few frantic messages pulled them each out of their after school programs to meet the panicking athlete, who told the horrifying news that someone had erased the threatening text while he’d practiced for the swim meet championships.
“You sure you didn’t do it by accident?” Ariadne asked.
“Yes, I’m sure!” Eames bellowed, visibly shaking. “The killer did it. He erased it so I couldn’t go to the police!”
“That’s a little paranoid,” Mal said. “How would he get into your locker?”
“Janitors have keys,” Arthur said helpfully.
“Rod doesn’t work school hours,” she spat.
“Can still have the key,” Arthur countered calmly.
“Doesn’t even matter, my locker doesn’t have a lock, I keep it open,” Eames said.
“What? Why?” Ariadne cried.
“I don’t know, I just do! For food and stuff, so everybody can help themselves, I’ve been doing it forever.”
“If it doesn’t lock then why’d you put your phone in there?” Ariadne asked scathingly.
“I DON”T KNOW! I WASN’T THINKING, ALRIGHT?”
Arthur took his hand to calm him down. Eames’ heart was beating too fast, he felt like he might pass out again. Fear was a pit in his stomach. The killer had been here. Had been watching him. Knew what he was planning.
“Oh God,” he sat down and put his head between his knees. Arthur sat on the bench with him, rubbed his back. The others were in full-swing debate about who could have gotten into that locker.
“There’s no telling, if it wasn’t even locked, I mean anybody could have snuck onto school property and got into it.”
Eames felt like he might puke. He wanted to run straight to the cops, but what could he tell them, how would he make them believe it all? They hadn’t even been able to convince the teachers that there had been a body in the bathroom to begin with.
Vaguely, Eames wondered if he wasn’t just going insane, dreaming all of this up, even the breakfast club.
“Coach Cobol keeps the swim practice locked up tight. Only the team could have gone in and out of the locker room.”
Cobb had his arms crossed and was pacing. He nodded at Arthur words. “Okay, so Bobby erased the message so he won’t be implicated later. He’s trying to pin it all on Rod, like he had nothing to do with it.”
“We need his phone. Maybe he hasn’t erased them on his, like weird sentimental keepsakes or something, you know how killers do that on TV, they keep stuff from their victims? Maybe he kept something of Tiffany’s, and he’s keeping the messages he sent us....”
“It’s definitely worth looking into. Question is, how do we get into his room. Saito? Could you snoop around a little next time you guys hang out?”
Satio said nothing, only stood there with his mouth open as a glorious opportunity occurred to him like a sunrise.
“Actually, we have the perfect chance,” Cobb said, sharing the same realization. He spoke to Mal. “The ball tonight; it’s at Fischer’s.”
“What ball?” Ariadne asked, confused. “Like a ball? With gowns and dressed and music?”
Mal nodded grinning. She’s already bought her dress to be Cobb’s date. The prep nodded along with her, adding, “Our parents are in the same country club. They throw annual balls-like a Cotillion thing for girls to enter society and be princesses and stuff, and the next one is tonight, and it’s at the Fischer’s. It’s always at Fischer’s or Saito’s or mine, we’ve got the space-“
“We get it, you’re rich,” Ariadne said.
“Rich, and invited to Fischer’s house for an entire evening with everyone distracted in the garden, while we slip upstairs and look around his bedroom,” Cobb said happily, even bouncing up onto his toes and letting his head wobble on his neck like a bobble-head. Ariadne and Mal traded grins.
“Can we come?” Arthur asked, indicating himself, his boyfriend, and the girls.
“Sure. Me and Saito can get you in,” Cobb said with a shrug. He looked at Ariadne as he added, “We need to stick together.”
….
Ariadne had to clear her schedule in order to go to the ball. She broke away from the group at the flag pole and went to the jumble of band members and science enthusiasts gathered in the grass a safe distance away from the front steps where the popular clique reigned.
No one greeted her.
“Hi, guys,” she said uneasily with a little wave. “Um, something’s come up, so I’m not going to get to come over for the Doctor Who fest after all.”
“What?”
“Seriously?”
“What can be more important?”
“The Fischer ball?”
Her answer was met with dead pan stares. She sighed. “I was just invited, and I really want to go, it’s kinda a once in a lifetime deal.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“I guess now that you’re popular, you can’t be bothered with us.”
“What? No, it’s not like--“
Sneering at her or ignoring her completely with their chins in the air, they marched off. Ariadne stared after them with her jaw slack and her lips parted. Unbidden, tears stung her eyes.
“What douche bags,” Mal said. Ariadne jumped. She hadn’t noticed the criminal had followed her over here.
“No,” she defended and when she blinked, it only made her eyes sting more, “they’re all really great. They’re just …” in a huff of hot air, water streaked down her cheeks and Ariadne sat down on the curb and put her face in her hands.
“Whoa,” Mal said.
Too busy dealing with rejection and embarrassing tears, Ariadne didn’t notice that the tough girl shuffled around, half leaving only to come back and then pace for a minute before sitting down beside her with a defeated groan, “God, teenagers are so lame.”
Ariadne laughed despite herself and agreed. Mal bumped her shoulder into the smaller girl, “They’ll come around once your face is on the front page of the newspaper, SOLVED A MURDER, and then the article will explain in detail how you were too busy saving lives to, I don’t know, write Frodo fan fiction or whatever nerds do.”
She dried her face and gave the older girl evil eyes, “Batman fan fiction, actually, and it rocks. Have you ever wondered what Alfred the butler might do in his free time? His hobbies, daydreams and maybe even his love life? It’s fascinating.”
Mal frowned, said with surprised sincerity in her French accent, “That sounds awesome.”
Chuckling, Ariadne stood and kicked her foot into her boot, “Maybe I’ll let you read some of my stuff someday, then.”
She rolled her eyes but was smiling. Just then, Ariadne’s mom pulled up in the car and two of her little brothers were wailing on the tops of their little lungs.
“Jesus,” Mal said, stepping away from the car. Ariadne gave her a tired this is my life look and then asked on a whim, “Wanna come over?”
Mal considered it and then shrugged. “Sure.”
As Ariadne informed her mother that the first chess tournament was tonight, the shapely girl craned over the car to wave to Cobb, who waved back and blew a kiss. When Mal turned her attention back to her ride, the woman was saying,
“Oh, hon, I gotta work, I won’t be able to make it. Why didn’t you tell me it was so soon?”
“No big deal, mom. It’s just a little one. When we make it to championships, then you need to come. But this is Mal, you remember her. Can she come over to help me practice until we leave?”
“Sure. Boys, make room.”
Mal squeezed herself into the last seat and shut the door. It smelled a little funny in here. She was pretty sure it was the smallest boy, who had some kind of candy smeared all over his face. “Who’s going to be your ride?”
“Saito,” Ariadne answered. “He’s the only one with a car big enough for the whole team. We won’t be out too late.”
“That’s good-Theo, don’t let Eddie do that!”
The middle boy jerked the lollipop out of the baby’s hand before he smeared more of it onto the seat. The baby started crying, and the older boy started yelling, and Mal villainous sense of humor had her laughing over the den of noise.
.....
“I like you’re room,” Mal said after dinner, speaking around the newly opened toothbrush as she looked around. “It’s got this no nonsense thing going on. It’s cool.”
“Thanks,” Ariadne said flattered, and maybe it was the compliment that spurred her into asking, as if they were best friends who shared this kind of stuff, “So. What’s going on with you and Dom?” she waggled her eyebrows.
Mal grinned, winked and turned, went back into the bathroom to spit. Ariadne sighed and flopped down onto her bed, “Fine, don’t tell me I guess.”
“We don’t do much more than kiss,” Mal admitted, coming back out of the bathroom wiping her mouth.
“Oh really?” Ariadne asked, going up onto an elbow. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Why because I’m a whore?” Mal asked and Ariadne blanched and was quick to say, “No! Just--“
Mal didn’t look convinced and Ariadne sat, crisscrossing her legs and saying, “I’m sorry if I ever gave the impression that’s what I think of you.”
Mal gave her a sideway look and then looked at her full on with a wicked smile, said with French inflection, “That’s okay, I kind of was a whore.”
“Was?” Ariadne asked. Mal bit her lip, shrugged as she said, “I don’t want to be who I was anymore.”
“Good for you,” Ariande thumped her on the shoulder.
“I’m actually trying to be more like you lately,” Mal admitted, thick lashes lowered bashfully. Ariadne gaped, “What? Why?”
Mal shrugged, “I think Dom likes girls like you--smart, sweet, pretty and always clean.”
Ariadne’s laugh was slightly on the shrill side, “Guys like Dom don’t like girls like me--they like you, big boobs and gorgeous eyes, a dangerous side, a sexy side. You know yourself! If Dom liked flat chested over achievers he’d kiss me but he doesn’t, he kisses you.”
“Hey, don’t talk about yourself like that! You’re cute--and don’t think flat chested is a deal breaker because big boobs are way uglier than little ones.”
This made Ariadne laugh, flushing and she said, “That’s the weirdest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
“No, seriously,” Mal said, hoping up to land on the bed on her knees with a big smile, “Big boobs are in the way and squishy and the nipples are freakishly huge,” to demonstrate this, she lifted up her shirt and bra to bare all to the room. Her boobs were heavy, unsupported, and the areolas were large dark red spots with thick nipples. Ariadne only saw them briefly, looked away, shielding her eyes and--weirdly--guffawing.
Mal was unperturbed and continued, dropping her shirt, “But little boobs? Their perky, firm, and they have cute little pink delicate looking nipples. That’s way hotter.”
Ariadne crossed her arms just in case Mal had the idea to pull up her shirt to demonstrate and giggled, “I’m pretty sure that’s not how guys think, Mal.”
Mal waved a hand, “Pah, all guys think like morons when it comes to boobs.”
“You’re insane,” Ariadne laughed and Mal only looked proud.
“You know, I think that last girl Saito was playing tonsil hockey with had little boobs,” Mal said, wagging her eyebrows.
Ariadne held up a hand, “I don’t like Saito like that.”
“Why not?”
“He’s kind of a douche.”
“Well spotted,” Mal said, “I’m proud of you for not going breathless over him just because he talks to you.”
“I know it’s the calling card of my species, but please, give a nerd some credit!” Ariadne cried and Mal laughed heartedly. Ariadne felt a rush of triumph for having made Mal laugh. She wanted to do it again.
“Ari and Mal!” a voice called up the stairs, Ariadne’s mother. “You’re ride’s here!”
Heading down stairs, Mal snickered, “I think I’ll ask all the guys if they prefer big boobs or little boobs.”
“No!” Ariadne cried, blushing at the sheer thought of it. “God, if you do that, I’ll kill you!”
“Oh come on, I think it’ll be a very informative survey.”
“Yeah, sure,” the smaller girl snorted, “To be scientific, we’ll each show our boobs for a full minute before they make their decision. Ha!”
“Let’s do it, seriously. It’ll be awesome just to see their faces when you do it.”
“Do what?” Mom asked, tiredly when they reached her at the bottom of the stairs.
“Kick their asses at chess,” Mal answered promptly. Mom wished them good luck and they ran out and jumped into Saito’s hummer.
“Hey guys,” Mal said as she slid in behind Ariadne. “Which one gets you harder faster--big boobs or little boobs?”
“No boobs,” Eames and Arthur answered in unison in the same second that Saito said, “Any boobs” and Cobb said, “Naked boobs. Why?”
“Just curious,” Mal winked at the nerd. “So we need to do something about Ariandne’s dress. She doesn’t have one.”
Saito twisted around and eyed her frame. “My sister might have something for you.”
...
Saito stood in front of his bedroom mirror, tying a second tie around his own neck while Eames paced, tugging at the sleeves of the borrowed suit. The team captain found it humorous that a teenager even needed to wear a tie, let alone tie one as efficiently as Saito was doing for him. The bathroom door opened, and Ariadne stepped out in Saito’s sister’s dress.
“Ah, you look beautiful,” Eames said. Mal had done her hair and make-up too, and she looked older, even a little sexy. She blushed and said, “Yeah, well, look what she did to Arthur.”
Eames, now intensely curious, double-looked the door as Saito lassoed his head with the now properly knotted tie and called into the bathroom, “Wait, Mal, I don’t have him ready!”
Eames guffawed-what was this, prom? He blushed and could not look his helpful friends in the eye, aware that at some point, they had decided tonight was a date for him and Arthur. Eames’ palms suddenly began to sweat.
Cobb returned to the bedroom with a camera that he’d went downstairs to fetch from the game room. He complimented Ariadne and made her pose.
As the flash filled the room, Saito adjusted Eames’ tie and stepped back. “There. Okay, let’s see him!”
“Everybody ready?” Mal’s voice asked from behind the door. Ariadne laughed and said, “Yes, hurry up!”
Mal came out first, looking down-right enchanting, and Cobb took a picture, but she allowed no time to be praised, because she turned and said, “TA DA!” as someone stepped out of the bathroom.
“Whoa.” Ariadne said, having evidently seen only part of the transformation, not the finished product. Eames had to agree with her. Whoa.
“Arthur, my God,” Eames choked. He’d never appreciated a three piece suit before, the way a vest could define a waist line, a pair of trousers could show off a butt just as well as a pair of girl jeans. But the biggest difference was his hair. Mal had cut it and styled it. It was now slicked back from his face, making him look older and very distinguished.
As Arthur stepped into the room and did a very impressive pivot on the spot, tossing his jacket over one shoulder like a model as he strutted his stuff (and boy did he have stuff to strut) Mal and Ariadne whistled and clapped. Cobb took a series of pictures, adopting the age old Austin Powers photographer attitude and telling him to have sex with the camera, putting everyone in stitches. Eames didn’t have the breath to laugh because his heart was pumping double time to paint a dark blush all over his body.
“You look amazing,” the jock managed breathlessly. Mal and Ariadne, giggling, herded Saito and Cobb into the bathroom under the pretense of showing off the mess they made with the hair clippings. It left Eames to flounder around in private as this new Arthur, comfortable in the spot light after all, shrugged on his jacket with a dimpled smile. “So do you,” he said kindly.
Eames snorted and glanced in the mirror. He looked like a seventeen year old on his way to a funeral. Arthur looked like a super model teenaged celebrity from Europe. Big difference. Eames smoothed the jacket shoulders like he’d seen people do in movies, not because he could see the difference it made, but because it gave him a reason to touch him.
“I’ve never seen you so happy in the spot light.”
“I don’t mind people seeing me dressed like this. I mean,” Arthur smirked. “I look good.”
Eames laughed heartily. “You do, darling. That you do. How much do you think this is worth, anyway?” he asked.
Arthur took a deep breath. “More than me,” he said seriously.
“Hey,” Eames said as if offended by blatant blasphemy. Arthur gulped and looked bashful. “Thanks.”
Eames kissed his ear without breaking eye contact in the mirror, then called very casually into the bathroom, “We’re waiting on you guys, let’s get double-oh-seven to his party!”
Arthur guffawed but checked himself out one more time, visibly, deeply, satisfied.
“I’ve got a bone to pick with you three,” Eames said playfully as they left the house.
“What did we do?” Ariadne asked, picking her way carefully down the porch steps in her heels.
“You’ve introduced my boyfriend to a lifestyle I won’t be able to give him.”
“Not true. You’ll play ball for millions of dollars and be famous.” Arthur said, and the way he said it made Eames believe it could really happen.
That is, if he didn’t get himself killed poking his nose into a psychotic kid’s dirty secrets.
Chapter 11