Recs: Inception
Inception
Arthur/Eames
A Fool From Any Direction by syllic
Summary: Written for this prompt: "Eames is a knight, and Arthur is a stable boy. Eames brings him little tokens from his quests and Arthur reverently removes his armor and lets Eames press him down sweetly into the hay".
Rating: NC-17
Length: ~21k
Comments: Originally it took quite a bit of talent for me to be particularly interested in reading AUs in this fandom, but luckily for everyone syllic is very talented. I love her charming!Eames so very much.
Amuse-Bouche by bauble
Summary: Eames is a superstar pop singer and provocateur. After saving Eames from a 30-foot-high deflating balloon shaped like an radish, Arthur is hired to be Eames' personal bodyguard for his summer concert tour. In between the sold-out concerts and crazed fans, Arthur discovers not only the real person underneath the zany costumes, but also how to fall in love.
Rating: NC17
Length: ~60k
Comments: This was utterly delightful. The AU world and the ensemble cast was so infinitely likeable and charming and fun to read. Written with a great eye to structure and pacing, this was a wonderful, engaging read.
Can't Get Enough of You (Baby) by Renay
Summary: Eames vanishes from dreamshare and Arthur goes a little crazy looking for him until he stumbles across him -- with a baby.
Rating: R
Length: 22k
Comments: God, I love kid!fic especially ones written so well. Eames is so him and so fatherly and adorable and Arthur's love and angst and finding a family is just delightful. A great read.
Kobayashi Maru by hackthis
Summary: What happened was them. They happened. Or to be a bit more specific, they didn't happen. At least not properly. It's very hard to appreciate what you have if you don't know you have it.
Rating: R
Length: ~8k
Comments: Eight thousand words of pure gold. And hello, the title certainly piqued the interest this little Trek fangirl. As the author put it: "The idea of this story came to me when I was running on the treadmill and watching the Star Trek: Reboot. For the three of you who haven't seen the reboot, the Kobayashi Maru is a no-win situation training test. It's designed to get people accustomed to failure. To being unable to fix something despite their best efforts. Their best intentions. Kirk ends up beating the program by hacking the system and rewriting the test. Being in a relationship is like that: sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get what you need."
Pet by ladyvader
Summary: AU - Arthur is in his final year of High School and finds himself entirely too interested in the English teacher.
Rating: NC17
Length: ~100k
Comments: I'm not always comfortable reading about relationships between students and teachers, not while they're still in high school, but ladyvader did an excellent job of writing such a scenario without it feeling... skeevy. I enjoyed the Arthur/Eames dynamic and the internal struggles regarding their ~feelings towards each other. The restraint and eventual conclusion were all immensely satisfying.
* Presque Vu by rageprufrock
Summary: Arthur meets Mal first. He inherits Dom, after. Everything else is on him.
Rating: R
Length: ~70k
Comments: If I had to choose only one Inception fic for my desert island, it would be this one. It's so much more than a love story, there was a depth to it that floored me, moved me and has sneaked it's way into my heart.
Simple Math by foxxcub
Summary: "So," Eames says slowly, leaning back against the school wall as he idly taps his cigarette. "We've got a problem here." or, The Fake Boyfriend High School AU
Rating: R
Length: ~45k
Comments: I have a confession to make. I happen to love Fake Boyfriend/Husbands AUs. This particular fic in the genre is a blast to read. I love all the misunderstandings and the angst and self-doubt that comes with being a teenager in love. (The fic is finished, though the setting on Ao3 says otherwise.)
Too Much Like the World We're Stuck In by anowlinsunshine
Summary: The first thing Eames does when he wakes up on the shore of Limbo is squint a bit at the crumbling city skyline. [Or, the one where Arthur and Eames go to Limbo and Grow as People.]
Rating: R
Length: ~4k
Comments: First fic I read in this fandom. Wasn't entirely sold on Arthur/Eames before but certainly was after. Simply lovely. anowlinsunshine has a wonderful way with words and character emotions.
You're Waiting for a Stranger by mixtapestar
Summary: College AU. Arthur's plans for his life are very detailed and predictable, just the way he likes it... until Eames comes along.
Rating: NC17
Length: ~17k
Comments: There is something very sweet and joyful about this fic. It does exactly as it says on the lable. A very satisfying read.