Fic: Speaking in Tongues (Inception, G)
title: Speaking in Tongues
author: ilovetakahana
pairing: pre-slash Arthur/Eames
warnings: LOTS of languages, only some of which I can speak myself. schmoop. Unbeta'd.
disclaimer: I don't own the original story or the characters. Not making any profit, just playing in the sandbox.
summary: a fill for this prompt at inception_kink. Hope this is what the OP wants.
Also archived at http://ninemoons42.dreamwidth.org/.
Eames strides back into the warehouse and walks right past Arthur as he sets up the whiteboards for another team meeting.
He's dressed in a three-piece Zegna today, faint charcoal pinstripes on very dark blue, and a neatly knotted plain purple tie.
So as soon as he brushes past Arthur smiles to himself, looks down at the floor, and mutters "Bell'uomo,"[1] very quietly.
He walks away and doesn't notice as Eames does a very discreet double-take behind his back.
***
Arthur comes in the next morning with a new batch of files to read and immediately parks himself at his desk, cup of coffee at hand and paper and pens at the ready.
He's so thoroughly engrossed that he doesn't see that someone has written 正しい[2] on one of the whiteboards that he'd already filled with notes.
***
Yusuf uses him as a guinea pig for another custom Somnacin blend, and while Eames has a lot of fun in the dreamscape due to the extreme sensitivity he feels in there, he cannot appreciate the kick he gets.
When he opens his eyes he's on the floor and his head is screaming alarm bells at him from where he impacted.
Arthur is standing behind him, face impassive as always, arms folded across his chest. His foot is still outstretched in the kick that overturned Eames's chair.
"Ha ha very much," Eames mutters, and walks off to get some ice for his head. "Arthur, un homme blageur."[3]
He never notices the sudden grin that creeps slowly across Arthur's face.
***
Arthur and Eames wind up having to babysit the very nervous and very paranoid mark: Arthur is playing the part of his bodyguard, and Eames is a tiny blonde plaything with her hair piled artfully on top of her head.
"Shut up, nobody talk," the mark wails every few minutes even though no one else is talking but him.
Arthur is communicating in Morse code instead, tapping rapidly on the blonde's wrist:
Five minutes, Cobb's almost there.
The reply is just as silent and just as discreet, pink-lacquered nails on Arthur's shoulder:
Copy.
When the kick comes and the dream starts to fall apart around them, Arthur grabs Eames's wrist one more time, starts tapping out S-A-R-A-N-G-H-E-[4] even if they don't have to be quiet any more - the mark's screaming his lungs out in fear - but never gets to finish as they all wake up.
Since Eames doesn't ask, Arthur doesn't tell.
***
"We're going to be dealing with someone who speaks a shit ton of languages and we're going to need someone who can read or translate bloody Elvish - honestly, what the fuck," Cobb says as they prep for another job.
Eames opens his mouth to ask "Sindarin or Quenya?"
But the person who's speaking now is Arthur: "I can do both. My Quenya's a bit rusty, though."
Cobb smacks his forehead with his open palm. Yusuf and Ariadne ask Arthur several excited questions.
Eames mutters, "Le no an-uir nîn?"[5]
Arthur raises an eyebrow at him.
Eames shrugs and walks off into a corner of the warehouse, hands feeling in his pocket for his pocket watch and hip flask.
A few moments later, a hand reaches past his shoulder and takes the flask.
Eames turns, watches as Arthur downs a quick mouthful of whisky.
"Okay, now that you feel better, what're you on about?" If Eames feels a little skittish, he doesn't let it show in his voice.
He watches as Arthur simply squares his shoulders, looks him in the eye, and says, "I understood everything."
Eames blinks. And tells the truth. "So did I."
"I'm going to kiss you now," Arthur says, after a long moment.
"Hay, salamat,"[6] Eames says, and falls in love.
fin
Language notes
1 - Italian. "Handsome man."
2 - Japanese. Tadashii, "perfect."
3 - French. "You funny git."
4 - Korean. Sarangheyo, "I love you."
5 - Sindarin. "Will you be mine forever?"
6 - Filipino. "Oh, thank GOD." / "About time."
author: ilovetakahana
pairing: pre-slash Arthur/Eames
warnings: LOTS of languages, only some of which I can speak myself. schmoop. Unbeta'd.
disclaimer: I don't own the original story or the characters. Not making any profit, just playing in the sandbox.
summary: a fill for this prompt at inception_kink. Hope this is what the OP wants.
Also archived at http://ninemoons42.dreamwidth.org/.
Eames strides back into the warehouse and walks right past Arthur as he sets up the whiteboards for another team meeting.
He's dressed in a three-piece Zegna today, faint charcoal pinstripes on very dark blue, and a neatly knotted plain purple tie.
So as soon as he brushes past Arthur smiles to himself, looks down at the floor, and mutters "Bell'uomo,"[1] very quietly.
He walks away and doesn't notice as Eames does a very discreet double-take behind his back.
***
Arthur comes in the next morning with a new batch of files to read and immediately parks himself at his desk, cup of coffee at hand and paper and pens at the ready.
He's so thoroughly engrossed that he doesn't see that someone has written 正しい[2] on one of the whiteboards that he'd already filled with notes.
***
Yusuf uses him as a guinea pig for another custom Somnacin blend, and while Eames has a lot of fun in the dreamscape due to the extreme sensitivity he feels in there, he cannot appreciate the kick he gets.
When he opens his eyes he's on the floor and his head is screaming alarm bells at him from where he impacted.
Arthur is standing behind him, face impassive as always, arms folded across his chest. His foot is still outstretched in the kick that overturned Eames's chair.
"Ha ha very much," Eames mutters, and walks off to get some ice for his head. "Arthur, un homme blageur."[3]
He never notices the sudden grin that creeps slowly across Arthur's face.
***
Arthur and Eames wind up having to babysit the very nervous and very paranoid mark: Arthur is playing the part of his bodyguard, and Eames is a tiny blonde plaything with her hair piled artfully on top of her head.
"Shut up, nobody talk," the mark wails every few minutes even though no one else is talking but him.
Arthur is communicating in Morse code instead, tapping rapidly on the blonde's wrist:
Five minutes, Cobb's almost there.
The reply is just as silent and just as discreet, pink-lacquered nails on Arthur's shoulder:
Copy.
When the kick comes and the dream starts to fall apart around them, Arthur grabs Eames's wrist one more time, starts tapping out S-A-R-A-N-G-H-E-[4] even if they don't have to be quiet any more - the mark's screaming his lungs out in fear - but never gets to finish as they all wake up.
Since Eames doesn't ask, Arthur doesn't tell.
***
"We're going to be dealing with someone who speaks a shit ton of languages and we're going to need someone who can read or translate bloody Elvish - honestly, what the fuck," Cobb says as they prep for another job.
Eames opens his mouth to ask "Sindarin or Quenya?"
But the person who's speaking now is Arthur: "I can do both. My Quenya's a bit rusty, though."
Cobb smacks his forehead with his open palm. Yusuf and Ariadne ask Arthur several excited questions.
Eames mutters, "Le no an-uir nîn?"[5]
Arthur raises an eyebrow at him.
Eames shrugs and walks off into a corner of the warehouse, hands feeling in his pocket for his pocket watch and hip flask.
A few moments later, a hand reaches past his shoulder and takes the flask.
Eames turns, watches as Arthur downs a quick mouthful of whisky.
"Okay, now that you feel better, what're you on about?" If Eames feels a little skittish, he doesn't let it show in his voice.
He watches as Arthur simply squares his shoulders, looks him in the eye, and says, "I understood everything."
Eames blinks. And tells the truth. "So did I."
"I'm going to kiss you now," Arthur says, after a long moment.
"Hay, salamat,"[6] Eames says, and falls in love.
fin
Language notes
1 - Italian. "Handsome man."
2 - Japanese. Tadashii, "perfect."
3 - French. "You funny git."
4 - Korean. Sarangheyo, "I love you."
5 - Sindarin. "Will you be mine forever?"
6 - Filipino. "Oh, thank GOD." / "About time."