Fic: Four People Arthur Watches Sleep (and One He Doesn't) (gen)
title: Four People Arthur Watches Sleep (and One He Doesn't)
author: ilovetakahana
rating: Gen
pairing: Arthur / Eames
warnings: none really.
disclaimer: I don't own the story or the characters.
summary: ...well, doesn't the title say it all?
1. Saito
It was surprising that the job Saito wanted done was Inception. It was even more surprising that he'd signed on as a Tourist despite warnings to the contrary.
But the most surprising thing of all was that the man came to the workshop every night, and stayed there until morning. Arthur figured he'd be running his companies somehow, counting the money that came in - but no, there he was, arms and legs crossed as he made the most [not much] out of one of the rickety warehouse chairs.
To his credit, Saito tried to make himself useful - he never showed up without something for the team, usually food packaged prettily in red lacquered boxes, which the others always ate with great relish.
But Arthur had never been on a job with the client before and he couldn't stop himself from thinking that he had a bad feeling about all of this.
2. Yusuf
He noticed that Yusuf always waited on Ariadne to finish the day's work and move on to the bright, secluded corner she'd claimed for her own, before taking over her previous spot in the center of the workshop. Normally he would pay no attention to whatever the team did after hours, but this time he'd seen the flash of garish color in the man's bag.
So when the deep snores signaled that the Chemist had fallen asleep, Arthur edged back around toward the worktable - and found him surrounded by stacks of comics.
He flicked through one of the books and, afterward, wondered if Yusuf would make them dream of feathers, or of people with impossibly lanky physiques.
3. Ariadne
He hadn't meant to find out what the Architect did in her off-hours - hadn't even been interested in the slightest - but he supposed that he should have figured it out more quickly.
It seemed right that a personality like hers always needed to be creating something, so she created dream-mazes of breathtaking complexity in the daytime, and knitted - well, whatever it was she was working on - during the night. He supposed it was a hat although he knew nothing of knitting and it could just as easily have been a scarf or a pair of gloves.
The - thing - on her needles was black and blue, nothing like her maroon sweater, and for one fleeting moment Arthur wondered who she was making it for.
4. Cobb
After all these years of working with - well, with just Cobb now - Arthur still marvels at his intensity. Dimmed, yes, since Mal's death and all the chaos it entailed, but still intense.
Cobb escaped into sleep, Arthur knew - escaped into the dreamlessness. That was the essential paradox of the man now. As much as Cobb wanted to run toward/away from the projections in his mind - Arthur knew about those, everyone on the team did by now, this late into the planning - he knew that the Extractor needed the emptiness more, and so, forcing himself, took it however he could.
He was so keyed up even in sleep and Arthur wondered just how much he would change - if he could even change, if he could even return from this preposterous attempt - after everything was said and done.
A. Eames
He knows it's a dream the second he opens his eyes. Here is the beach, spread out before him, the waves a soothing pulse. Here is the moon hanging bright in a starless sky.
And here is Eames. They are lying side by side on a sparsely grassy slope, looking down at the sand and the sea.
The Forger is warm, as always, and dressed in a black and blue sweater.
Arthur sighs and begins their ritual exchange: "I really don't know why you're doing this." It's something that they say every night, their bodies in the workshop and their minds in this peaceful place.
"Because you're worth it, darling. And it's my duty to make sure that you get enough bloody sleep, enough real rest. You're the Point Man, pet, and if you lose that edge this whole thing falls to pieces."
"Do you think the others know?"
"Do you really think they even care, darling? For all we know they think we should have been doing this for a long time."
Arthur chuckles into Eames's shoulder, as he always does, and pokes him in the ribs.
Eames lets out a quiet "ow", as he always does, and settles them both into the sand. "Sleep, Arthur."
He sleeps.
author: ilovetakahana
rating: Gen
pairing: Arthur / Eames
warnings: none really.
disclaimer: I don't own the story or the characters.
summary: ...well, doesn't the title say it all?
1. Saito
It was surprising that the job Saito wanted done was Inception. It was even more surprising that he'd signed on as a Tourist despite warnings to the contrary.
But the most surprising thing of all was that the man came to the workshop every night, and stayed there until morning. Arthur figured he'd be running his companies somehow, counting the money that came in - but no, there he was, arms and legs crossed as he made the most [not much] out of one of the rickety warehouse chairs.
To his credit, Saito tried to make himself useful - he never showed up without something for the team, usually food packaged prettily in red lacquered boxes, which the others always ate with great relish.
But Arthur had never been on a job with the client before and he couldn't stop himself from thinking that he had a bad feeling about all of this.
2. Yusuf
He noticed that Yusuf always waited on Ariadne to finish the day's work and move on to the bright, secluded corner she'd claimed for her own, before taking over her previous spot in the center of the workshop. Normally he would pay no attention to whatever the team did after hours, but this time he'd seen the flash of garish color in the man's bag.
So when the deep snores signaled that the Chemist had fallen asleep, Arthur edged back around toward the worktable - and found him surrounded by stacks of comics.
He flicked through one of the books and, afterward, wondered if Yusuf would make them dream of feathers, or of people with impossibly lanky physiques.
3. Ariadne
He hadn't meant to find out what the Architect did in her off-hours - hadn't even been interested in the slightest - but he supposed that he should have figured it out more quickly.
It seemed right that a personality like hers always needed to be creating something, so she created dream-mazes of breathtaking complexity in the daytime, and knitted - well, whatever it was she was working on - during the night. He supposed it was a hat although he knew nothing of knitting and it could just as easily have been a scarf or a pair of gloves.
The - thing - on her needles was black and blue, nothing like her maroon sweater, and for one fleeting moment Arthur wondered who she was making it for.
4. Cobb
After all these years of working with - well, with just Cobb now - Arthur still marvels at his intensity. Dimmed, yes, since Mal's death and all the chaos it entailed, but still intense.
Cobb escaped into sleep, Arthur knew - escaped into the dreamlessness. That was the essential paradox of the man now. As much as Cobb wanted to run toward/away from the projections in his mind - Arthur knew about those, everyone on the team did by now, this late into the planning - he knew that the Extractor needed the emptiness more, and so, forcing himself, took it however he could.
He was so keyed up even in sleep and Arthur wondered just how much he would change - if he could even change, if he could even return from this preposterous attempt - after everything was said and done.
A. Eames
He knows it's a dream the second he opens his eyes. Here is the beach, spread out before him, the waves a soothing pulse. Here is the moon hanging bright in a starless sky.
And here is Eames. They are lying side by side on a sparsely grassy slope, looking down at the sand and the sea.
The Forger is warm, as always, and dressed in a black and blue sweater.
Arthur sighs and begins their ritual exchange: "I really don't know why you're doing this." It's something that they say every night, their bodies in the workshop and their minds in this peaceful place.
"Because you're worth it, darling. And it's my duty to make sure that you get enough bloody sleep, enough real rest. You're the Point Man, pet, and if you lose that edge this whole thing falls to pieces."
"Do you think the others know?"
"Do you really think they even care, darling? For all we know they think we should have been doing this for a long time."
Arthur chuckles into Eames's shoulder, as he always does, and pokes him in the ribs.
Eames lets out a quiet "ow", as he always does, and settles them both into the sand. "Sleep, Arthur."
He sleeps.