Inception - Bite Hard (10/11)
Title: Bite Hard (part 10)
Author: osaki_nana_707
Word count: ~3,600
Pairings/Characters: ArthurxEames, Yusuf, Ariadne
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: language, age difference/underage, dub-con
Summary: AU. Sixteen year old Arthur wakes up in another man's apartment.
Part Ten
Eames had felt his stomach drop the moment Arthur hung up on him, a horrible gut feeling nearly identical to the one he'd had the night Roxanne had died. His mother had always told him he had an instinct for those kinds of things (and yet he'd fallen prey to heroin abuse and a horrible girlfriend who had treated him like shit under her shoes- go figure).
When Arthur had shown up at the apartment, Eames only had one moment of relief. After that moment, when Arthur attached himself to Eames like he would die should he let go, his gut dropped to his feet, and he knew something was wrong.
"What-What happened? What's wrong?" Eames asked.
"He… He tried to-Eames…" Arthur slumped in his arms. "Eames… I'm so sorry…"
"Sorry for what, darling? You don't… that's over. I said on the phone that-"
"No… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry… I should have said something… but… but I couldn't. I couldn't because he saw, and he would tell, and I didn't-"
"Arthur," Eames cooed, pulling his death grip free so that he could look into his eyes, wiping at his tears with his thumbs, "what are you talking about?"
"M… Mr. Monroe caught me on the phone with you… said he was gonna suspend me," Arthur sniffed, and he was trembling to the point that he could barely stand. "I… I asked him not to, and… then…" Arthur shook his head, fresh tears releasing themselves. "Fuck… Fuck…" He was starting to sweat, starting to choke on his own air.
"Shit," Ariadne said, jumping up from her spot at Eames's kitchen table. "He's having a panic attack. Eames, do you have any brown paper bags?"
Eames couldn't remember with Arthur gasping for air in front of him. "I don't know… I don't know. Check the drawers!"
After violently throwing open drawers, with Yusuf helping they found one, and she made Arthur breathe in and out from the bag until he calmed down.
Eames led him to the couch to sit him down, and that was when they all noticed that his trousers were falling down.
"Arthur," Eames said, voice as gentle as possible.
Arthur pressed his face into Eames's chest, and whimpered, "Mr. Monroe tried to fuck me."
The whole room fell silent. It was like the air even stopped moving for a long moment.
"Oh, my God…" Ariadne whispered. "Are you okay?"
Arthur nodded weakly. "He just shoved his hand down my pants… and he bit me… but Mrs. Porter hit him with a chair or something, and I ran away…"
There was a long moment where nobody said anything, Eames just sitting there with Arthur leaning into him. When Eames did manage to speak, he said to Yusuf and Ariadne, "Could you leave us alone for a while?"
He knew that both of them would have plenty to say to him later, but he was thankful that for the moment they both complied.
The door shut with a click behind them. Eames watched them go and then caught sight of the unfinished painting of Arthur's eyes, alcohol dried to the canvas as smeared tears. His gaze settled there for a long time.
He realized he'd gotten Arthur's eyes down perfectly.
"Eames," Arthur said quietly. He pulled away from his arms and leveled him with a serious gaze. The tears seemed to have stopped completely. "He saw us together… I… almost let him… do that because he was going to tell my dad… and I didn't think about my safety then at all. I didn't want him to tell because I promised from the beginning that I would try to protect you from all of that."
Eames felt a knot form in his throat, but he swallowed it back down. "Arthur… my protection is not worth that kind of sacrifice. Are you insane?"
He nodded, smiling humorlessly. "I really must be," he said. "I mean… he didn't even know your name. He only saw you in passing. It's unlikely he could have identified you… but I panicked. I was scared for you."
Eames ghosted his hand over Arthur's cheek. "Idiot," he said.
"I know… It was really dumb... It sucks, it really does."
Eames furrowed his brows at that. "What does?" he asked.
Arthur sniffed, and his eyes were damp, but he held his head high as he said, "It sucks… that I can't be with you."
Eames felt his heart sink in disbelief. "What? I don't-"
"It's stupid," Arthur said, standing from the couch and crossing his arms over his chest. He paced to the coffee table, snagged a cigarette, lit it, and then took up leaning against the wall. "It's so stupid… when I was talking on the phone with you, I was ready to drop everything and come running back to you and start everything up again like nothing had ever happened. I wanted to do that so badly… but when I realized that Monroe had seen us, I realized that… Well, I realized that that couldn't happen…"
"You said so yourself that there's no way he could identify me," Eames said, and he knew he was just fishing for excuses.
"I know," Arthur said, "but what about next time someone sees us?" Arthur shook his head before Eames could respond. "There will always be a next time. We can be as careful as possible, but we're both human beings. We're both prone to human error. Eventually, someone will find out about us. Someone will find out, and someone will tell, and you'll get sent to prison even if I tell them that I wanted to do it. It's still statutory, after all… and I can't… I can't do that to you."
"-but… Arthur," Eames started but realized he didn't have anything to say after that.
Arthur released smoke from between his lips, slumping against the wall until he was sitting on the floor. "When we were fighting… you said that I had no backbone."
"I said I was-"
"You were right," Arthur interrupted. "I've realized something." He stood, returned to Eames's side,stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, and sat down on the coffee table so he could make eye contact with Eames. Eames marveled at that perfect brown color and the speckles of caramel there. "I realized," Arthur continued, licking his lips, "that all the stuff that happens to me-the yelling and the beatings and the misery in my life… I let all of that happen. I never, not once, stood up for myself. I sat there, screaming on the inside, never saying anything and letting it eat and eat at me until I snapped.
"I don't regret that, of course… If I hadn't gone nuts, I never would have met you. I would have continued living that way, never realizing what was wrong. I would follow in my father's footsteps and work in his business. I would have no passions and no dreams. I'd probably get married to some bimbo who hooked up with me for my money, and I'd become as bitter and hateful as… I would actually become my father. Once I came to that conclusion, I'm pretty sure I'd put a bullet through my skull and never think twice."
Eames felt lost, and he was sure Arthur could see it on his face. "Don't say things like that. You'll make my hair turn gray," Eames said, trying to lighten the air to no avail.
"I'm not going to kill myself, Eames… I would have done that if I'd kept going the way I had… but… you saved me. You showed me that it was okay to not only just be alive, but that I could live. I could feel things, and I could have opinions, and I could dream. In my life… I've never had anyone show me what it was really like to be a man. I've cowered in corners while men took swings at me, and I've held back tears for fear of being screamed at. I've curled up in bed and hoped that the next day would be better and gone nights without sleeping, worried that one little step out of line would send me crashing into oblivion… and then… you came along, and I realized that I could make mistakes and things would be okay. I realized that I might end up getting smacked around or screamed at, but if it's for something that I believe in, something that I care about, then it's worth taking the hit for.
"There are things in this life worth standing up for."
Eames leaned forward, taking Arthur's jaw in his hands, and kissed him.
Arthur returned it gently before pulling away with a sigh. "I realized that you're worth taking the hit for, Eames, and I realized that I'm worth standing up for… but I've still got a long way to go. I want to be able to… rise up and be a man on my own, Eames. I know that… I know that I can't do that if I stay with you. I'll let you keep doting on me, and I'll keep running away to your arms when I don't feel safe."
Eames didn't want what Arthur was saying to make sense, but it did. Knowing that didn't make it hurt any less.
"I don't want to get you in trouble because I'm weak, Eames. I want to become something that… that you can be proud of, and that I can be proud of… I want to be as beautiful as you're always saying I am."
"Darling," Eames whispered. He could feel tears pricking at the edges of his vision. He wasn't completely sure why he was so touched, but a part of him at least was proud of Arthur and proud of himself for being able to help him.
"You know that it's a transformation I have to make on my own… Eames, you're the only person who's ever believed in me, but now I need to believe in myself. I need to make my own decisions, and my first decision is to stop being selfish and do what's best for both of us… even if I don't want to."
Eames sniffed, wiping away one of his own stray tears and chuckled, "Life teaches you that you've got to do a lot of things you want to. You're lucky you learned that so early… So, I suppose this is our last night together, hm?"
Arthur nodded, breaking eye contact to look at the floor.
"I suppose we should make the most of it then," Eames said.
Eames took Arthur by the hands and stood while pulling him to his feet. Arthur wrapped his arms around Eames's neck and held him in a long embrace, taking in his scent and never wanting to let go.
Eames reached over and punched the button on the stereo.
Soft music lilted out from the speakers, and Eames pressed himself against Arthur, swaying side to side to it.
I've fallen out of favor
And I've fallen from grace
Fallen out of trees
And I've fallen on my face
Fallen out of taxis
Out of windows too
Fell in your opinion
When I fell in love with you
Neither of them said anything and neither of them laughed while they slow-danced. The whole world seemed to stop for the moment, giving them their time, and while they were both filled with appreciation for it, they both couldn't help but feel terrible at the same time.
Sometimes I wish for falling
Wish for the release
Wish for falling through the air
To give me some relief
Because falling's not the problem
When I'm falling I'm at peace
They knew it was going to end after that night. This was it.
It's only when I hit the ground
It causes all the grief
Arthur leaned up and pressed his mouth against Eames, kissing slowly as if time would slow with it, and Eames responded back in hopes that maybe it actually would. The only thing he hated about the kiss was that he had to close his eyes so that he couldn't look upon Arthur every second that he was there.
This is a song
For a scribbled down name
And my love keeps writing
Again and again
Arthur's hands clutched against Eames's back as he pulled away for air, gasping.
And again and again
Eames layered kisses along his jaw and down his neck until he found the bite mark left by that bastard.
And again and again
Arthur whimpered when Eames touched the mark and sighed when he leaned in to kiss it better.
And again and again
Eames started undoing the buttons on Arthur's shirt, kissing every bruise he found, and Arthur leaned into every touch.
And again and again
Eames kissed along his pelvic bones and all the way down to his knees, and Arthur fell to them then and recaptured Eames's mouth as they crouched among his scattered clothes. They just kissed and kissed and touched and touched…
Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again
Arthur fell to the floor and Eames wrapped his arms around him, never letting go, not taking one second for granted in knowing after that night he would not touch him. He had to memorize every part of him, trailing his fingers gently along his pectorals and his ribs and his abdomen.
I dance with myself
I drunk myself down
"Please, Eames," Arthur whispered, and he wasn't begging, only asking. Eames wrapped a hand around him and kissed his eyelids. He remembered how Roxanne had never let him touch her gently, how she'd only liked for him to rough her up, and he remembered how she'd never loved him, and it made this moment with Arthur all the more unbearably sad.
Found people to love
Left people to drown
…but Eames didn't want to think about her now. She was his past, Arthur was his present, and he didn't know what lay ahead in his future. He didn't like the idea of Arthur not being in it, but if it was what Arthur needed, then he'd be willing to suffer.
I'm not scared to jump
I'm not scared to fall
If there was nowhere to land
I wouldn't be scared…
Arthur lifted his hips off of the floor and made a small sound, and Eames pressed his forehead into Arthur's. Up as close as he was, he could see the million colors of brown in Arthur's eyes, and he remembered again that he'd gotten Arthur's eyes down perfectly.
At all…
"Eames," Arthur whimpered, touching his chest, fumbling with his buttons. "Eames."
At all…
No one said Eames's name quite so sweetly as Arthur did. He'd never heard that kind of love even out of his mother or father (not that that was surprising).
At all…
"Arthur," Eames whispered back, kissing his earlobe, and Arthur sighed, and Eames hoped Arthur could hear the love and tenderness he put into his voice with his name as well. "Arthur, darling."
At all…
Arthur's hips jerked up into Eames's touch, and he spilled onto Eames's hand. He'd barely finished before he was kissing Eames, Eames rolling to Arthur's side, hand planted against Arthur's hip, and they kissed desperately, as though the world was about to crumble beneath them.
Fall… Fall…
When they moved away, the surrounding area was blurry for both of them.
Sometimes I wish for falling
I wish for the release
Wish for falling through the air
To give me some relief
Arthur's hand came to rest against Eames's cheek, and Eames mirrored his movement, and they realized it.
Because falling's not the problem
When I'm falling I'm a peace
They were both crying.
It's only when I hit the ground
That causes all the grief
When Arthur woke up, he and Eames were still on the floor, wrapped around each other for warmth. The light outside was dim, meaning morning had arrived. Arthur pushed his face into Eames's chest and wished it away.
"Arthur," Eames said.
"Have you been awake this whole time?" Arthur asked, voice groggy with sleep. He never pulled away from Eames.
Eames had, but he didn't tell Arthur so. Instead, he hoisted him up and carried him to the shower where he washed both of them. They didn't speak while they bathed, nor when they fucked under the spray of water.
"I still have your sunglasses at home," Arthur said quietly while he buttoned his shirt. Eames was sitting at the kitchen table, sewing a button back onto Arthur's pants.
"Keep them," Eames said. "They're just a cheap pair anyway."
Arthur nodded. He knew that was a lie because Eames had told him they were quite the pricy gift from his best mate in high school… He was just helping to remind Arthur that he absolutely could not come back.
Eames stood, handing over the trousers with a dejected little sigh.
"Thanks," Arthur said, and he wasn't just talking about the quick sewing job. "…Eames."
The idea that he'd never say it again-
Eames kissed his forehead. "I guess this is goodbye, huh."
Arthur nodded and looked at the door with disdain. "Yeah… I… I guess so…"
"Oh… right, one more thing," Eames said, jogging to his bed and picking up a large yellow envelope and handing it to him. "Take this with you, all right?"
"What is it?"
"Just take it."
Arthur nodded, staring at it.
A long moment passed between them where nothing was done and nothing was said…
…and then Arthur threw his arms around him and hugged him so tightly he was afraid he might strangle him for a moment. "I'm going to miss you so much…" He said, fighting back tears because he was tired of his eyes being sore and puffy.
Eames didn't say anything but the squeeze he gave Arthur's back was enough. When they pulled away, Eames said, "Take care of yourself, Arthur. Don't let anyone treat you like your worth less than you are. You're bloody brilliant. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."
"Thank you," Arthur said again, catching one stray tear before it got too far down his face, and he smiled at him. "Thank you, Eames."
"You don't have to thank me… I'd do anything for you."
"Goodbye… Mr. Eames."
"Goodbye, Arthur."
The click of the door shutting was the loudest sound Arthur had ever heard. He ran down the stairs to keep from going back, tears pouring from him like a faucet had been turned on within him but didn't stop until he reached the bus stop.
When he got on the bus, he opened the envelope.
Inside was a drawing of Arthur smiling. Underneath it was a note that read:
I finally got the eyes right.
Love,
Thomas Eames
"So his name is Thomas, huh?" Arthur asked no one.
And then he laughed.
Here's Part 10. Get out your tissues. It's a doozy. I almost cried while writing this.
Also, the song used in this chapter is called "Falling" by Florence and the Machine. You can find it on YouTube. It's a beautiful song and really adds to it when listening while reading.
ONLY ONE MORE PART LEFT YOU GUYS. OH MY GOD.
Author: osaki_nana_707
Word count: ~3,600
Pairings/Characters: ArthurxEames, Yusuf, Ariadne
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: language, age difference/underage, dub-con
Summary: AU. Sixteen year old Arthur wakes up in another man's apartment.
Part Ten
Eames had felt his stomach drop the moment Arthur hung up on him, a horrible gut feeling nearly identical to the one he'd had the night Roxanne had died. His mother had always told him he had an instinct for those kinds of things (and yet he'd fallen prey to heroin abuse and a horrible girlfriend who had treated him like shit under her shoes- go figure).
When Arthur had shown up at the apartment, Eames only had one moment of relief. After that moment, when Arthur attached himself to Eames like he would die should he let go, his gut dropped to his feet, and he knew something was wrong.
"What-What happened? What's wrong?" Eames asked.
"He… He tried to-Eames…" Arthur slumped in his arms. "Eames… I'm so sorry…"
"Sorry for what, darling? You don't… that's over. I said on the phone that-"
"No… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry… I should have said something… but… but I couldn't. I couldn't because he saw, and he would tell, and I didn't-"
"Arthur," Eames cooed, pulling his death grip free so that he could look into his eyes, wiping at his tears with his thumbs, "what are you talking about?"
"M… Mr. Monroe caught me on the phone with you… said he was gonna suspend me," Arthur sniffed, and he was trembling to the point that he could barely stand. "I… I asked him not to, and… then…" Arthur shook his head, fresh tears releasing themselves. "Fuck… Fuck…" He was starting to sweat, starting to choke on his own air.
"Shit," Ariadne said, jumping up from her spot at Eames's kitchen table. "He's having a panic attack. Eames, do you have any brown paper bags?"
Eames couldn't remember with Arthur gasping for air in front of him. "I don't know… I don't know. Check the drawers!"
After violently throwing open drawers, with Yusuf helping they found one, and she made Arthur breathe in and out from the bag until he calmed down.
Eames led him to the couch to sit him down, and that was when they all noticed that his trousers were falling down.
"Arthur," Eames said, voice as gentle as possible.
Arthur pressed his face into Eames's chest, and whimpered, "Mr. Monroe tried to fuck me."
The whole room fell silent. It was like the air even stopped moving for a long moment.
"Oh, my God…" Ariadne whispered. "Are you okay?"
Arthur nodded weakly. "He just shoved his hand down my pants… and he bit me… but Mrs. Porter hit him with a chair or something, and I ran away…"
There was a long moment where nobody said anything, Eames just sitting there with Arthur leaning into him. When Eames did manage to speak, he said to Yusuf and Ariadne, "Could you leave us alone for a while?"
He knew that both of them would have plenty to say to him later, but he was thankful that for the moment they both complied.
The door shut with a click behind them. Eames watched them go and then caught sight of the unfinished painting of Arthur's eyes, alcohol dried to the canvas as smeared tears. His gaze settled there for a long time.
He realized he'd gotten Arthur's eyes down perfectly.
"Eames," Arthur said quietly. He pulled away from his arms and leveled him with a serious gaze. The tears seemed to have stopped completely. "He saw us together… I… almost let him… do that because he was going to tell my dad… and I didn't think about my safety then at all. I didn't want him to tell because I promised from the beginning that I would try to protect you from all of that."
Eames felt a knot form in his throat, but he swallowed it back down. "Arthur… my protection is not worth that kind of sacrifice. Are you insane?"
He nodded, smiling humorlessly. "I really must be," he said. "I mean… he didn't even know your name. He only saw you in passing. It's unlikely he could have identified you… but I panicked. I was scared for you."
Eames ghosted his hand over Arthur's cheek. "Idiot," he said.
"I know… It was really dumb... It sucks, it really does."
Eames furrowed his brows at that. "What does?" he asked.
Arthur sniffed, and his eyes were damp, but he held his head high as he said, "It sucks… that I can't be with you."
Eames felt his heart sink in disbelief. "What? I don't-"
"It's stupid," Arthur said, standing from the couch and crossing his arms over his chest. He paced to the coffee table, snagged a cigarette, lit it, and then took up leaning against the wall. "It's so stupid… when I was talking on the phone with you, I was ready to drop everything and come running back to you and start everything up again like nothing had ever happened. I wanted to do that so badly… but when I realized that Monroe had seen us, I realized that… Well, I realized that that couldn't happen…"
"You said so yourself that there's no way he could identify me," Eames said, and he knew he was just fishing for excuses.
"I know," Arthur said, "but what about next time someone sees us?" Arthur shook his head before Eames could respond. "There will always be a next time. We can be as careful as possible, but we're both human beings. We're both prone to human error. Eventually, someone will find out about us. Someone will find out, and someone will tell, and you'll get sent to prison even if I tell them that I wanted to do it. It's still statutory, after all… and I can't… I can't do that to you."
"-but… Arthur," Eames started but realized he didn't have anything to say after that.
Arthur released smoke from between his lips, slumping against the wall until he was sitting on the floor. "When we were fighting… you said that I had no backbone."
"I said I was-"
"You were right," Arthur interrupted. "I've realized something." He stood, returned to Eames's side,stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, and sat down on the coffee table so he could make eye contact with Eames. Eames marveled at that perfect brown color and the speckles of caramel there. "I realized," Arthur continued, licking his lips, "that all the stuff that happens to me-the yelling and the beatings and the misery in my life… I let all of that happen. I never, not once, stood up for myself. I sat there, screaming on the inside, never saying anything and letting it eat and eat at me until I snapped.
"I don't regret that, of course… If I hadn't gone nuts, I never would have met you. I would have continued living that way, never realizing what was wrong. I would follow in my father's footsteps and work in his business. I would have no passions and no dreams. I'd probably get married to some bimbo who hooked up with me for my money, and I'd become as bitter and hateful as… I would actually become my father. Once I came to that conclusion, I'm pretty sure I'd put a bullet through my skull and never think twice."
Eames felt lost, and he was sure Arthur could see it on his face. "Don't say things like that. You'll make my hair turn gray," Eames said, trying to lighten the air to no avail.
"I'm not going to kill myself, Eames… I would have done that if I'd kept going the way I had… but… you saved me. You showed me that it was okay to not only just be alive, but that I could live. I could feel things, and I could have opinions, and I could dream. In my life… I've never had anyone show me what it was really like to be a man. I've cowered in corners while men took swings at me, and I've held back tears for fear of being screamed at. I've curled up in bed and hoped that the next day would be better and gone nights without sleeping, worried that one little step out of line would send me crashing into oblivion… and then… you came along, and I realized that I could make mistakes and things would be okay. I realized that I might end up getting smacked around or screamed at, but if it's for something that I believe in, something that I care about, then it's worth taking the hit for.
"There are things in this life worth standing up for."
Eames leaned forward, taking Arthur's jaw in his hands, and kissed him.
Arthur returned it gently before pulling away with a sigh. "I realized that you're worth taking the hit for, Eames, and I realized that I'm worth standing up for… but I've still got a long way to go. I want to be able to… rise up and be a man on my own, Eames. I know that… I know that I can't do that if I stay with you. I'll let you keep doting on me, and I'll keep running away to your arms when I don't feel safe."
Eames didn't want what Arthur was saying to make sense, but it did. Knowing that didn't make it hurt any less.
"I don't want to get you in trouble because I'm weak, Eames. I want to become something that… that you can be proud of, and that I can be proud of… I want to be as beautiful as you're always saying I am."
"Darling," Eames whispered. He could feel tears pricking at the edges of his vision. He wasn't completely sure why he was so touched, but a part of him at least was proud of Arthur and proud of himself for being able to help him.
"You know that it's a transformation I have to make on my own… Eames, you're the only person who's ever believed in me, but now I need to believe in myself. I need to make my own decisions, and my first decision is to stop being selfish and do what's best for both of us… even if I don't want to."
Eames sniffed, wiping away one of his own stray tears and chuckled, "Life teaches you that you've got to do a lot of things you want to. You're lucky you learned that so early… So, I suppose this is our last night together, hm?"
Arthur nodded, breaking eye contact to look at the floor.
"I suppose we should make the most of it then," Eames said.
Eames took Arthur by the hands and stood while pulling him to his feet. Arthur wrapped his arms around Eames's neck and held him in a long embrace, taking in his scent and never wanting to let go.
Eames reached over and punched the button on the stereo.
Soft music lilted out from the speakers, and Eames pressed himself against Arthur, swaying side to side to it.
I've fallen out of favor
And I've fallen from grace
Fallen out of trees
And I've fallen on my face
Fallen out of taxis
Out of windows too
Fell in your opinion
When I fell in love with you
Neither of them said anything and neither of them laughed while they slow-danced. The whole world seemed to stop for the moment, giving them their time, and while they were both filled with appreciation for it, they both couldn't help but feel terrible at the same time.
Sometimes I wish for falling
Wish for the release
Wish for falling through the air
To give me some relief
Because falling's not the problem
When I'm falling I'm at peace
They knew it was going to end after that night. This was it.
It's only when I hit the ground
It causes all the grief
Arthur leaned up and pressed his mouth against Eames, kissing slowly as if time would slow with it, and Eames responded back in hopes that maybe it actually would. The only thing he hated about the kiss was that he had to close his eyes so that he couldn't look upon Arthur every second that he was there.
This is a song
For a scribbled down name
And my love keeps writing
Again and again
Arthur's hands clutched against Eames's back as he pulled away for air, gasping.
And again and again
Eames layered kisses along his jaw and down his neck until he found the bite mark left by that bastard.
And again and again
Arthur whimpered when Eames touched the mark and sighed when he leaned in to kiss it better.
And again and again
Eames started undoing the buttons on Arthur's shirt, kissing every bruise he found, and Arthur leaned into every touch.
And again and again
Eames kissed along his pelvic bones and all the way down to his knees, and Arthur fell to them then and recaptured Eames's mouth as they crouched among his scattered clothes. They just kissed and kissed and touched and touched…
Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again
Arthur fell to the floor and Eames wrapped his arms around him, never letting go, not taking one second for granted in knowing after that night he would not touch him. He had to memorize every part of him, trailing his fingers gently along his pectorals and his ribs and his abdomen.
I dance with myself
I drunk myself down
"Please, Eames," Arthur whispered, and he wasn't begging, only asking. Eames wrapped a hand around him and kissed his eyelids. He remembered how Roxanne had never let him touch her gently, how she'd only liked for him to rough her up, and he remembered how she'd never loved him, and it made this moment with Arthur all the more unbearably sad.
Found people to love
Left people to drown
…but Eames didn't want to think about her now. She was his past, Arthur was his present, and he didn't know what lay ahead in his future. He didn't like the idea of Arthur not being in it, but if it was what Arthur needed, then he'd be willing to suffer.
I'm not scared to jump
I'm not scared to fall
If there was nowhere to land
I wouldn't be scared…
Arthur lifted his hips off of the floor and made a small sound, and Eames pressed his forehead into Arthur's. Up as close as he was, he could see the million colors of brown in Arthur's eyes, and he remembered again that he'd gotten Arthur's eyes down perfectly.
At all…
"Eames," Arthur whimpered, touching his chest, fumbling with his buttons. "Eames."
At all…
No one said Eames's name quite so sweetly as Arthur did. He'd never heard that kind of love even out of his mother or father (not that that was surprising).
At all…
"Arthur," Eames whispered back, kissing his earlobe, and Arthur sighed, and Eames hoped Arthur could hear the love and tenderness he put into his voice with his name as well. "Arthur, darling."
At all…
Arthur's hips jerked up into Eames's touch, and he spilled onto Eames's hand. He'd barely finished before he was kissing Eames, Eames rolling to Arthur's side, hand planted against Arthur's hip, and they kissed desperately, as though the world was about to crumble beneath them.
Fall… Fall…
When they moved away, the surrounding area was blurry for both of them.
Sometimes I wish for falling
I wish for the release
Wish for falling through the air
To give me some relief
Arthur's hand came to rest against Eames's cheek, and Eames mirrored his movement, and they realized it.
Because falling's not the problem
When I'm falling I'm a peace
They were both crying.
It's only when I hit the ground
That causes all the grief
When Arthur woke up, he and Eames were still on the floor, wrapped around each other for warmth. The light outside was dim, meaning morning had arrived. Arthur pushed his face into Eames's chest and wished it away.
"Arthur," Eames said.
"Have you been awake this whole time?" Arthur asked, voice groggy with sleep. He never pulled away from Eames.
Eames had, but he didn't tell Arthur so. Instead, he hoisted him up and carried him to the shower where he washed both of them. They didn't speak while they bathed, nor when they fucked under the spray of water.
"I still have your sunglasses at home," Arthur said quietly while he buttoned his shirt. Eames was sitting at the kitchen table, sewing a button back onto Arthur's pants.
"Keep them," Eames said. "They're just a cheap pair anyway."
Arthur nodded. He knew that was a lie because Eames had told him they were quite the pricy gift from his best mate in high school… He was just helping to remind Arthur that he absolutely could not come back.
Eames stood, handing over the trousers with a dejected little sigh.
"Thanks," Arthur said, and he wasn't just talking about the quick sewing job. "…Eames."
The idea that he'd never say it again-
Eames kissed his forehead. "I guess this is goodbye, huh."
Arthur nodded and looked at the door with disdain. "Yeah… I… I guess so…"
"Oh… right, one more thing," Eames said, jogging to his bed and picking up a large yellow envelope and handing it to him. "Take this with you, all right?"
"What is it?"
"Just take it."
Arthur nodded, staring at it.
A long moment passed between them where nothing was done and nothing was said…
…and then Arthur threw his arms around him and hugged him so tightly he was afraid he might strangle him for a moment. "I'm going to miss you so much…" He said, fighting back tears because he was tired of his eyes being sore and puffy.
Eames didn't say anything but the squeeze he gave Arthur's back was enough. When they pulled away, Eames said, "Take care of yourself, Arthur. Don't let anyone treat you like your worth less than you are. You're bloody brilliant. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."
"Thank you," Arthur said again, catching one stray tear before it got too far down his face, and he smiled at him. "Thank you, Eames."
"You don't have to thank me… I'd do anything for you."
"Goodbye… Mr. Eames."
"Goodbye, Arthur."
The click of the door shutting was the loudest sound Arthur had ever heard. He ran down the stairs to keep from going back, tears pouring from him like a faucet had been turned on within him but didn't stop until he reached the bus stop.
When he got on the bus, he opened the envelope.
Inside was a drawing of Arthur smiling. Underneath it was a note that read:
I finally got the eyes right.
Love,
Thomas Eames
"So his name is Thomas, huh?" Arthur asked no one.
And then he laughed.
Here's Part 10. Get out your tissues. It's a doozy. I almost cried while writing this.
Also, the song used in this chapter is called "Falling" by Florence and the Machine. You can find it on YouTube. It's a beautiful song and really adds to it when listening while reading.
ONLY ONE MORE PART LEFT YOU GUYS. OH MY GOD.