if you should wake and see me go
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Rating: G
Summary: Eames doesn't wake Arthur when he leaves.
Notes: written for a prompt on inception_kink
The first time, it's like this:
Arthur's head is buried in the pillow, hair still a little stiff from the gel he never bothered washing out. The sheets are tangled around his hips and legs, arms curled around the pillow, shoulders rising and falling softly. His Glock is on the end table with his cufflinks and die.
Eames pauses for a moment, hand loose around the H & K he's tucked into its holster. The breeze is perfectly cool through the open window, smelling like the ocean and Arthur.
He doesn't regret leaving, not till the plane touches down at Moi International.
Staying in Mombasa was never the plan, but he stays anyway. It's not because he wants Arthur to know where he is. It's not.
---
The seventh time, it's like this:
Eames can't see Arthur, apart from his hair and the hand clutching Eames' pillow. He's curled up under three layers of blankets, and probably still cold, because he's a delicate hothouse flower for all he hates tropical climates.
Eames can admit to feeling a little affectionate when he's off to Busan for six weeks.
He thinks about waking Arthur for a minute, just a quick kiss and a goodbye before he goes. Arthur will probably bitch him out for it later if he doesn't, whenever he thinks it's safe to contact Eames. But the thing about working in this business is that you lose your ability to effectively say goodbye. You try to hold everything as close as you can. You get greedy.
Besides, Arthur's worried face is significantly less adorable than Eames likes to tell Arthur it is.
So really, all Eames can do is go to the endtable for his gun and his mobile, tucking one into its holster and the other into his pocket. And while he's there, he might as well lean over and brush a kiss to Arthur's shoulder, the back of his neck, his hair.
Arthur shifts a little, and Eames freezes. But Arthur doesn't wake, and really... Eames has never gotten used to how peaceful Arthur looks when he sleeps. He suspects he never will.
---
The twenty-third time, it's like this:
Darling, would it be too archaic of me to say that i never wake you because i dont want to make you watch me go?
He's waiting for his luggage at Ataturk when his mobile vibrates.
I suppose I'll miss you too, Mr. Eames.