Inception - I've Got a Rock n' Roll Life (7/16)
Title: I've Got a Rock n' Roll Life (7/16)
Author: osaki_nana_707
Word count: 5,019
Pairings/Characters: ArthurxEames, Ariadne, Cobb, Nash, Yusuf, Saito
Rating: NC-17(this part)
Warnings: language, smut, alcohol use, dub-con, Arthur being an asshole, leather pants, un-betaed
Summary: AU. Arthur is a concert violinist at a prestigious arts college. His best (and only) friend Ariadne convinces him to come with her to a rock concert, aka his worst nightmare. He does seem to be quite taken with the charismatic lead guitarist though... or rather, the guitarist seems to be quite taken by him.
Track Seven: The First Time We Fall in Love
"So… what you're telling me is that you guys met at the concert, and now you're… lovers or something?" Ariadne asked from her spot on the couch, looking up at the two men as if they were her parents explaining the birds and the bees. Her knees were pressed together, her hands clutched on top of them, and her eyes were large and unbelieving.
"S-sort of," Arthur said sheepishly. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed even alluding to his sex life to Ariadne. "It just kind of… happened."
"-but it worked out pretty well because we actually kind of… well… we actually really like each other so, go figure," Eames added, shrugging.
"I just… this is so much to take in… Of all the people in the world to be dating a rock star, I never would have thought-"
"It was… a bit of a shock for me too," Arthur admitted, nervously wringing his hands, "and I know you think that I'm bullshitting you and this is some big joke, but it's not… I ah… well…"
"I think Arthur's trying to dance around the fact that we've boned," Eames said with a smirk. Arthur whirled on him, face surely going beet red.
"Subtle, Eames," Arthur spat. Eames pecked him on the lips in response. Arthur rolled his eyes and looked back to Ariadne. "Look, I-I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but… I mean, first of all, I didn't even know how to say it and make you even believe me, and then there's the fact that I didn't really want anyone to know. I mean, he's famous and all that, after all, and I didn't really think it was going to go this far, honestly…"
"I'm pretty sure that neither of us did, darling," Eames said.
Arthur appreciated the effort, but Eames was failing spectacularly at making the moment less awkward. He couldn't believe how easily he was making him blush.
"He calls you 'darling'?" Ariadne asked and bit down on her bottom lip. Arthur recognized it as the face she made whenever she'd witnessed the cutest thing she'd ever witnessed. It only made Arthur feel more flustered.
"Anyway…" Arthur said, taking a seat next to her and taking her hand. "I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this. You can't tell a soul, and I mean this, Ariadne. If this got out, there would be absolute chaos, and I'd rather that not happen. We've got to protect ourselves."
"Well, yeah," Ariadne said, "I mean no one even knows that you're gay, Eames. How long were you planning on keeping that a secret?"
"As long as physically possible, or at least until the world is a little more accepting. Surprisingly, it's starting to get there somehow, but I'm not going to open that can of worms unless I have to," Eames explained, flopping down next to Arthur. "It's a little too scandalous for my tastes, and I'd rather avoid that particular spotlight."
"Me too," Arthur agreed, "which is why you can't tell anyone… and by anyone I mean anyone. You can't tell your friends, your family, definitely not my family, you can't tell your teachers or the stranger on the bus. I'm putting my faith in you, Ariadne. You're my best friend in the whole world, and I'm counting on you."
"I swear I won't tell anyone, Arthur," Ariadne said, smiling. "As cool as this is, I would never compromise your safety or privacy just to gush about something that's not actually any of my business. I don't want to screw up your relationship. I mean… Arthur… you can't possibly know how happy it makes me to see you happy."
"Really?" Arthur marveled.
"Of course, Arthur! The best friend thing goes both ways, after all. For a long time I'd started to suspect you'd never find anyone, and that made me really sad. To know you've got someone and you really like that person, regardless of whether they're male or female, and regardless of whether their average or famous, I'm really happy."
Arthur should have expected it, being that he'd known Ariadne for practically his whole life… and yet, he was not only surprised by it but completely touched.
"I hope your super-hot-super-famous new boyfriend will at least autograph some of my stuff though," Ariadne said, winking…
…and Arthur threw his arms around her neck and just hugged her for a long time.
"Thank you… Ariadne…" he sighed into her shoulder.
"Don't thank me, you nerd," she giggled and pressed a kiss to his cheek before releasing him. "We've got to stick together after all."
"I wish I'd had a friend like you when I was younger," Eames said, resting his chin on Arthur's shoulder. "Seriously, how is it possible that someone as sweet as you exists?"
Ariadne wriggled from where she was sitting, charmed and overexcited. Arthur wondered how long it would take for Ariadne to stop fawning and just talk to Eames like a normal person. It would quite possibly be never… Oh, well… At least Ariadne wasn't obnoxious when she did it.
Eames chuckled from his spot against Arthur's back, and the warmth that flooded through him at the sound of the laugh was surprisingly nice. He had to make an effort to not lean back into the feeling.
After Ariadne left, Arthur practiced his music for two hours without any issue. Eames lingered in other rooms, watching, waiting for Arthur to hit that sour note and throw a fit, but with relief for both of them it never happened. Eames fixed himself some dinner of cold cereal and milk and sat and watched until the clock chimed ten.
Arthur was just finishing the last note when Eames settled a hand on the back of Arthur's neck. He knelt down close to his ear and whispered, "Come to bed."
"…but I'm not tired yet," Arthur replied, smirking.
"Exactly," Eames said, tugging him out of his chair by hooking his hands under his armpits. "I've got some ideas to help wear you out."
Arthur wriggled his way out of Eames's grip. "Go, go back there, and I will join you in a second, all right? I've just got to put this stuff away and get my books together for class tomorrow."
"So studious," Eames said, giving him three quick kisses before strolling off into the bedroom, tugging his sweatshirt over his head in the process. "If' I'm gone in the morning, love, don't take it personal," he called out. "I've got to get out of here before daylight and let Saito know I'm not being held prisoner by some insane fans. I also would quite like a fresh pair of clothes."
"Do what you have to do," Arthur replied, locking his case before stepping over it to grab his backpack out of the corner and change his books out.
When he paced into the bedroom, Eames was already lounging on the bed completely nude, and Arthur blushed awkwardly and went into the bathroom. After he shut the door he took a moment just to look at himself in the mirror.
"Ugh…" He grumbled. "I look so shitty…"
Had he really looked that bad the whole time? He ducked his head under the sink and washed out all of the gel, toweled his hair mostly dry, washed his face, and was in the middle of brushing his teeth when Eames came in.
"What are you even doing?" Eames chuckled.
Arthur spit into the sink. "I was just ah…"
Eames wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist and hummed into the back of his neck. "You don't have to make such an effort for me."
"I didn't say that-" Arthur stammered but from the sound of his voice he came to the realization that he was nervous out of his mind.
This was going to be different than before, and he didn't know how to respond to that fact. After the way he'd felt that morning, he had never expected the evening to turn out this way, and now he was terrified that he was going to royally fuck up.
It was as Eames heard all of this without Arthur saying a word because he took him by the wrists and led him back into the room. "Don't be afraid of me," he said, smiling. "You're going to like this, I promise."
"I'm not afraid," Arthur tried to say, though he'd admitted that much to himself just moments ago, and he was still just as bad a liar as he always had been.
"It's not like I've ever done things this way either, you know," Eames said, slowly loosing the buttons on Arthur's shirt.
"You-you haven't?"
"No," Eames said, pulling Arthur's belt from its loops, "but I'm happy I'm doing this with you."
"You act like we've never had sex before," Arthur mumbled.
"Surely you and I both are aware of the fact that this isn't just sex," Eames replied, standing to his full height when Arthur's trousers fell around his ankles. "Don't be scared. It's not going to be bad. Just trust me, all right?"
Arthur swallowed heavily, feeling so small and so young before him now. He felt like he was a virgin again, and he was awkward and embarrassed by it. Still, he said, "I… I trust you."
"Come here," Eames said, pulling Arthur to him and setting his mouth in line with Arthur's, hesitating momentarily before pressing a kiss there. He took his time deepening the kiss, and Arthur let him take the lead, hands curling around the back of his neck. He'd never been kissed so sweetly, and it immediately started to relax him. He began to think that Eames was right about there being nothing to be afraid of…
Eames mouthed down Arthur's neck, but he didn't bite or scrape his teeth like he had in the past. He just layered him with feather light kisses, fingers tickling his skin but never harshly gripping at him, and Arthur felt heat radiating off of himself, building in strength the further down Eames would go.
"You don't have to be so gentle," Arthur whispered. "I'm not going to break."
"I'm doing this on purpose," Eames said, voice rumbling against Arthur's abdomen. "I want to show you how precious you are to me, and I'm always careful with those things… Lay down, Arthur, and just let me…" he trailed off as Arthur did as he was told, taking deep breaths as if he was trying to remain calm.
"Tell me what you want," Eames said, crawling on top of him and staring deep into his eyes. The dim lamplight cast a warm glow against the side of Eames's face, and Arthur was momentarily mesmerized by it.
"Just you," Arthur choked out, and his eyes fluttered closed and his head tilted back as Eames pressed a kiss to his Adam's apple, hand reaching up to stroke Arthur's half-hard prick until it was fully erect and leaking.
Arthur whimpered when Eames removed his hand, but a moment later he found Eames was shoving a finger into his entrance, slicked with lube. As he started thrusting the digit in and out, he knelt down over Arthur and kissed him again, deepening it only at Arthur's unspoken permission, and all Arthur could do was put his arms around his neck and kiss back, small sounds escaping into the back of Eames's throat.
Eames slipped in another finger, and Arthur was so relaxed from the way Eames was handling him that his muscles barely resisted.
"Tell me how it feels," Eames whispered as he broke the kiss, breathless, still hovering there as if waiting to dive back in, and he pushed in a third finger.
Arthur licked at Eames's bottom lips and said with a delicate little moan, "it feels good… just don't… just don't stop…"
"Do you want me to just fuck you with my fingers, then?"
"No! No…" Arthur groaned, hips lifting off of the mattress. "Please, Eames… please…" He was already starting to sound desperate, and normally that would bother him, but surprisingly it didn't. He wasn't thinking about anything else that night, just him and Eames. He didn't think he could think of his music, or of Ariadne, or of school even if he tried. Eames was everywhere, outside and inside, physical and mental. He wasn't sure how Eames was managing to fill up all of his sense, but it was impressive to say the least.
Eames pulled out his fingers, and Arthur heard as he ripped open the wrapper of a condom, causing him to open his eyes.
"No," Arthur said, reaching up to touch Eames's wrist. "Just… just do it. I trust you."
"Are you sure?" Eames asked, raising his eyebrows.
Arthur bit down on his bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah, I… I want to. I'm sure…"
Somehow this information seemed to touch Eames, because his eyes twinkled just a little brighter, his smile broadened just a little more. "I'll do whatever you want," Eames told him and knelt down to give him another long kiss while he slicked himself in preparation. A few moments later, he was shoving the head of his cock inside. Arthur's eyes watered a little, and he couldn't help but resist the pull of muscle at first, but it wasn't long until Eames was shoving himself deeper. Arthur's eyes rolled back into his head, and he couldn't help but claw at Eames's shoulders.
"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Eames asked unsurely, voice tight.
"No… No, it feels good…" Arthur moaned, lifting his head off of the pillows to kiss Eames again.
"Let me know-if you want me to-"
"Eames," Arthur growled and bit at Eames's lip, and he felt a smile tugging at his own as he said, "Stop acting like a coward. You're already in."
Eames chuckled a little, pulled back and pushed back in, slowly building up a rhythm, and Arthur felt like he was catching on fire. He started riding Eames, trying to get as much of him inside as possible, completely lost to him. Normally, he would realize how horrifying this fact was, but it felt too good for it to be wrong. It was Eames.
It was Eames who had meant everything that he'd said.
"Don't cry," Eames said, and surely enough, Arthur could feel him brushing away tears.
"No-I'm not, my eyes are just watering," he said. He wasn't sure if it was a lie or not. All he could feel was Eames's cock brushing against his prostate, sending white hot shocks through his entire system.
Yes, he was sure that it had never been like this before. It wasn't just the lack of protection or the way Eames was slow and gentle… No, it was why that was making it so different. They weren't even fucking anymore. The word fucking had far too harsh a connotation on it.
It was lame and had he heard it from someone else, he would have thought the whole 'making love' thing was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard, but it must have been what was happening because it was the only thing he could think of to describe it. The flutter in his heart was felt lighter, and the burn rolling through his body with every roll of Eames's hips didn't have the same harshness and urgency to it as it had. He wasn't so concerned with getting off as he was with experiencing the feeling, cherishing each blissful moment. It was more powerful than any emotion he'd ever experienced, the highest of highs.
Eames rolled his hips one more time, and Arthur gasped and half-shouted, half-moaned as he spilled all over himself, euphoria flooding over him again and again until he wasn't sure of where he was anymore. When he came to, Eames was climaxing, and Arthur was caught off guard by the way he filled him up.
When Eames pulled out, it was with a trembling gasp, and he collapsed on top of Arthur, lowering his head into the crook of his neck. All Arthur could currently do was stare up at the ceiling, chest heaving, eyes still watering, and hold Eames. He only slowly became aware of the come leaking out of him, and he made a small sound.
Eames smiled against his neck, kissed there, and pulled away from his embrace to kneel down and lick Arthur clean, and Arthur just lay there, sighing and whimpering until he was finished, and then Eames returned to his spot in Arthur's arms.
"…that was nice…" Arthur sighed, and he knew it was an understatement, but his vocabulary was currently failing him.
"I love you," Eames said quietly, sounding nearly asleep, as if the three words were nothing but a simple afterthought.
"I love you more," Arthur replied, eyes slipping shut, and he reached over and turned on his alarm clock.
He was asleep within minutes, and he never slept so soundly.
The next morning, Eames was gone just as he had said he would be, and Arthur was pissed only at the alarm for waking him from his peaceful slumber. He did lay there for a few moments, just breathing in the air for a while, but eventually he knew he had to get up and get to class.
He showered and dressed, grabbed his things, grabbed an apple, and headed off to class as if he was floating on air. He didn't even realize he had such a large smile on his face until he came into class and got stares from his classmates.
…but then, it wasn't really the only reason, he came to discover when he and Ariadne went to lunch and within five minutes a girl named Rebecca was standing at their table and staring at them.
"So… is it true?" she asked when Arthur made eye contact with her.
"Is what true?" Arthur asked flatly.
"Are you…?" Rebecca asked hesitantly, raising her eyebrows like Arthur was supposed to already know.
"Am I what?" Arthur asked, getting agitated.
Rebecca sat down and fiercely whispered, "Are you gay?"
Arthur blinked with surprised. "Where did you hear that?" he asked, trying not to give too much away with his eyes. Ariadne wasn't really helping by snorting into her green tea, but Arthur didn't think it was necessary to harshly elbow her in the ribs yet.
"Jonah heard you say it at Starkey's yesterday, and Steve's totally a witness," Rebecca said. "Everybody is talking about it, you know."
"Jonah's been known to stretch the truth to suit his need for drama," Arthur said with a roll of his eyes.
"So, it's not true?" she asked.
"I'm not going to answer that," Arthur replied, taking a bite of his sandwich. "I'm not going to feed into stupid rumors. If I say nothing, people can assume whatever they'd like, but if I tell you yes or no, people will constantly question whether or not I'm lying or telling the truth, and I don't want people constantly asking me if I'm a homosexual. There've been enough rumors about me throughout my schooling experience, and I didn't respond to them then either, and that's why they stopped talking about them."
"I didn't ask for a lecture," Rebecca complained, and Arthur just responded with a probably condescending smile.
"If I am or if I'm not, I really don't see what business it is of yours. Run along and leave me to my lunch, please," Arthur replied.
"You know, it's not like anyone's all that surprised. You always kind of came off as a homo," Rebecca sneered, wrinkling her nose at him, curling a long blonde strand of hair around her fingertip.
"Oh?" Arthur responded lightly. He wasn't going to take her bait.
"Yeah, you know, the way you dress, the way you obsess over your hair, the way you only hang out with the school's token lesbian."
He felt Ariadne tense from next to him, could see her jaw clench out of his peripheral vision. He settled one hand on her knee under the table, squeezing lightly. He didn't want her raging out of control either, even if he would have liked to see it after Rebecca had made such a crude and careless statement. Frankly, he was pissed off about it too, but to let her know that would be to let her ultimately win and he'd rather watch her flounder.
"Say what you like, Rebecca, but I wasn't the one caught sucking face with that slut Pam during homecoming," Ariadne replied venomously (after all, Arthur had taught her so well). "You'd best move along now unless you forget that I share a dormitory with you, and you'll definitely wake up looking like a dyke, complete with short hair and flannel shirts. I'd have a very nice time burning all those slutty rags you call clothes… though I'm sure they're so doused in that shitty perfume they'd burn up pretty quick. Run along to your sorority girls and cry to them, and then maybe you can have a pillow fight and make out some more!" Ariadne threw on her most agitated smile and clapped her hands together in a mock girly-girl fashion.
Rebecca huffed, clearly horrified of Ariadne's plans and angry she'd been talked to in such a way, but she didn't really have anything she could say to back it up. She stormed off, blonde hair swinging behind her and heels clopping dramatically.
"Bitch," Ariadne growled, looking back down to her meal and picking at it.
"Don't let her get to you," Arthur replied, starting to go back to his own meal when he noticed she still wasn't eating hers, instead choosing to just stare at it through a curtain of hair. "Ariadne…" he said more gently, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"I don't see how she can just talk to people like that," she said, voice cracking a little. "I mean, how dare she just come up and ask you stuff like that? That's so rude! And… and… Just because I wear boots, and I'm modest, and I don't have a boyfriend, I'm automatically a lesbian? She's such a bitch, such a complete and total bitch! I don't understand why boys want girls like her! It's sickening!"
"No real man wants a girl like her," Arthur assured her. "Don't let her make you feel bad about being who you are."
Ariadne sniffed, wiping at one eye. "I'm not… I'm not, okay?... It's just… Look, being a major in architecture, I go into class, and it's already a big boy's club. I'm one of three girls in my architecture class, three… and I'm good at what I do, and I'm proud of that, but… well, the boys only see me like dating material. Sure, I like to pretend they do, but I know they actually don't. I'm one of the guys, and when she says stuff like that it's… it just reminds me of that. It makes me feel like shit… and… I feel really horrible for saying this because I am really happy for you and ah-your relationship-but I was so jealous. I want someone to kiss me that way, you know? I want someone to look at me the way he looks at you. I want all of that stuff as sappy and silly as it is. You're really lucky, Arthur. Hang onto that and never let it go if you can help it."
Arthur found a blush creeping across his cheeks at that, and he pulled Ariadne into a quick hug.
She was right. He was lucky. He was extremely lucky.
He was only just now realizing how lucky he was to not be so alone in life, to realize that someone liked him just because he was him. Not only did Eames like him just because he was himself, he liked him in spite of himself. He had met him drunk, allowed himself to splutter out insult after insult at him, seen him when he was overwhelmed with self-loathing, told him he was precious and special even when he felt like absolute shit. He'd stuck around at least quite a few days, which was more than most people in Arthur's life (sans Ariadne of course), and even though he'd only known him for a short time it seemed that he knew exactly what to say and when to say it.
All he could do was hope he didn't fuck all of it up. He would definitely make an effort to hold onto it as long as he could.
…though, he couldn't help but still worry about what could happen.
"Well, look at you, all sunshine-y, all sparkly and happy."
Eames was caught a little off guard when he entered Saito's penthouse suite to find Nash and Yusuf there along with Cobb. Nash was the one who had spoken up, in a condescending little tone, lounged on Saito's bed with is bass guitar across his lap. He had this knowing little smirk on his face that immediately annoyed Eames, but there was a definite possibility that his face just looked like that.
"You look… greasy and unkempt as usual," Eames replied, beaming at Nash. It wiped the smirk off of Nash's face for the time being, but he still had an air of satisfaction that didn't dissipate.
"Cobb already told us that you have a sweet young thing," Yusuf said, and Eames wondered if Saito knew he was messing with the wires of his television set, "said it was some student, some bloke down at the college down the road that Mal works at."
"Ah… yeah, I do," Eames said, choosing to sit on the couch with Cobb and giving him a quick glare. "He's not that young though, and to be honest he's really not all that sweet a lot of the time, at least not to most people, and he's not a thing either… so, actually no, no I don't."
"You are playing with fire," Nash said. "Idiot, do you know what the press is going to do when they find out about all this? They will screw you into next Tuesday, you know."
"I've been able to keep my sexuality a secret for years, Nash, and Cobb's bloody married and no one has figured that out. To be honest, I'm not all that terribly concerned."
"True, but you haven't had a steady relationship since you started up in the band. You've only fucked around with guys on the side, guys no one would believe even if they said they fucked you," Nash replied. "Damn it, it's so fucking unfair that you get all the fan girls and yet you prefer man ass. It makes me sick."
Eames was not amused by Nash's skepticism, but he decided to let it slide for the time being because he was in too good a mood to be angry. "We're not here to talk about my relationships anyway. There's got to be some more important reason you're here, right? Surely you didn't come here just to hear the juicy details of how I like to do the nasty."
"Cobb finished writing the words to that song of yours and wanted us to start working on it so we could perform it at the concert. Also, Saito wants us to do some interviews for S.O.S. over the next few days since we're one of the most famous groups in the show," Yusuf answered. "There, I fixed the set. I told you I could do it."
"Interviews, eh? Where are the interviews being held?" Eames asked, lighting up a cigarette.
"Down where they're setting up," Cobb explained, "and a few of them at the Cobol School since a lot of their students are performing in the show as well. They wanted to interview Mal and the leading professor of music at that school, and maybe even a couple of students."
"Oh," Eames said, smiling a little. "Well, that should be fun then."
"No screwing your boyfriend in public," Nash said, and Eames would have liked to throw something at Nash if he'd had anything to throw.
"I'm not so unprofessional that I would do such a thing, you wanker," Eames grumbled, "oh, and Cobb, you're bloody terrible at keeping secrets. I'm not really sure how you've managed to hide your wife this long if you can't keep someone else's relationship under wraps for so much as two days."
"I thought they should know," Cobb said with a shrug. "You didn't tell me it was a secret from the rest of the band. They already knew that you preferred men, so I thought it was fine."
Eames pouted a little but didn't say anything.
He didn't want to tell Cobb that he didn't want them to know because he didn't want them to tell. He was sure Yusuf wasn't much of a problem since they were actually quite good friends even when they weren't performing, but Nash had had his fair share of problems with Eames in the past (mainly that he got more attention than Nash did for his looks, his playing, and his involvement in the songwriting-and probably the leather pants and showboating too), and all Nash needed was a reason to fuck Eames over. Nash wouldn't screw things up if it put the band at risk, unless he really thought it was worth it.
Nash's concept of worth didn't stretch too far.
…but Cobb didn't want to believe there was unrest in his band, and for the moment, there wasn't, so Eames kept it all to himself and reminded himself to try to be as civil as possible to everyone for the time being.
"Gentlemen," Saito said as he entered the room. "Let us talk."
Eames set his fears about Nash to the back of his mind for the moment. They all had more important things to deal with.
…but Eames wouldn't allow himself to forget.
Just so you guys know, I'm headed up to St. Louis for the next four days, and the hotel I'm at doesn't have internet, so you won't be getting updates from me unless I happen to have my laptop (and a finished chapter) at some point... but I probably won't be writing much anyway, since I'll be too busy having fun at Six Flags. :P
Hopefully this'll tide you over, since it's not too cliffhanger-y.
Author: osaki_nana_707
Word count: 5,019
Pairings/Characters: ArthurxEames, Ariadne, Cobb, Nash, Yusuf, Saito
Rating: NC-17(this part)
Warnings: language, smut, alcohol use, dub-con, Arthur being an asshole, leather pants, un-betaed
Summary: AU. Arthur is a concert violinist at a prestigious arts college. His best (and only) friend Ariadne convinces him to come with her to a rock concert, aka his worst nightmare. He does seem to be quite taken with the charismatic lead guitarist though... or rather, the guitarist seems to be quite taken by him.
Track Seven: The First Time We Fall in Love
"So… what you're telling me is that you guys met at the concert, and now you're… lovers or something?" Ariadne asked from her spot on the couch, looking up at the two men as if they were her parents explaining the birds and the bees. Her knees were pressed together, her hands clutched on top of them, and her eyes were large and unbelieving.
"S-sort of," Arthur said sheepishly. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed even alluding to his sex life to Ariadne. "It just kind of… happened."
"-but it worked out pretty well because we actually kind of… well… we actually really like each other so, go figure," Eames added, shrugging.
"I just… this is so much to take in… Of all the people in the world to be dating a rock star, I never would have thought-"
"It was… a bit of a shock for me too," Arthur admitted, nervously wringing his hands, "and I know you think that I'm bullshitting you and this is some big joke, but it's not… I ah… well…"
"I think Arthur's trying to dance around the fact that we've boned," Eames said with a smirk. Arthur whirled on him, face surely going beet red.
"Subtle, Eames," Arthur spat. Eames pecked him on the lips in response. Arthur rolled his eyes and looked back to Ariadne. "Look, I-I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but… I mean, first of all, I didn't even know how to say it and make you even believe me, and then there's the fact that I didn't really want anyone to know. I mean, he's famous and all that, after all, and I didn't really think it was going to go this far, honestly…"
"I'm pretty sure that neither of us did, darling," Eames said.
Arthur appreciated the effort, but Eames was failing spectacularly at making the moment less awkward. He couldn't believe how easily he was making him blush.
"He calls you 'darling'?" Ariadne asked and bit down on her bottom lip. Arthur recognized it as the face she made whenever she'd witnessed the cutest thing she'd ever witnessed. It only made Arthur feel more flustered.
"Anyway…" Arthur said, taking a seat next to her and taking her hand. "I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this. You can't tell a soul, and I mean this, Ariadne. If this got out, there would be absolute chaos, and I'd rather that not happen. We've got to protect ourselves."
"Well, yeah," Ariadne said, "I mean no one even knows that you're gay, Eames. How long were you planning on keeping that a secret?"
"As long as physically possible, or at least until the world is a little more accepting. Surprisingly, it's starting to get there somehow, but I'm not going to open that can of worms unless I have to," Eames explained, flopping down next to Arthur. "It's a little too scandalous for my tastes, and I'd rather avoid that particular spotlight."
"Me too," Arthur agreed, "which is why you can't tell anyone… and by anyone I mean anyone. You can't tell your friends, your family, definitely not my family, you can't tell your teachers or the stranger on the bus. I'm putting my faith in you, Ariadne. You're my best friend in the whole world, and I'm counting on you."
"I swear I won't tell anyone, Arthur," Ariadne said, smiling. "As cool as this is, I would never compromise your safety or privacy just to gush about something that's not actually any of my business. I don't want to screw up your relationship. I mean… Arthur… you can't possibly know how happy it makes me to see you happy."
"Really?" Arthur marveled.
"Of course, Arthur! The best friend thing goes both ways, after all. For a long time I'd started to suspect you'd never find anyone, and that made me really sad. To know you've got someone and you really like that person, regardless of whether they're male or female, and regardless of whether their average or famous, I'm really happy."
Arthur should have expected it, being that he'd known Ariadne for practically his whole life… and yet, he was not only surprised by it but completely touched.
"I hope your super-hot-super-famous new boyfriend will at least autograph some of my stuff though," Ariadne said, winking…
…and Arthur threw his arms around her neck and just hugged her for a long time.
"Thank you… Ariadne…" he sighed into her shoulder.
"Don't thank me, you nerd," she giggled and pressed a kiss to his cheek before releasing him. "We've got to stick together after all."
"I wish I'd had a friend like you when I was younger," Eames said, resting his chin on Arthur's shoulder. "Seriously, how is it possible that someone as sweet as you exists?"
Ariadne wriggled from where she was sitting, charmed and overexcited. Arthur wondered how long it would take for Ariadne to stop fawning and just talk to Eames like a normal person. It would quite possibly be never… Oh, well… At least Ariadne wasn't obnoxious when she did it.
Eames chuckled from his spot against Arthur's back, and the warmth that flooded through him at the sound of the laugh was surprisingly nice. He had to make an effort to not lean back into the feeling.
After Ariadne left, Arthur practiced his music for two hours without any issue. Eames lingered in other rooms, watching, waiting for Arthur to hit that sour note and throw a fit, but with relief for both of them it never happened. Eames fixed himself some dinner of cold cereal and milk and sat and watched until the clock chimed ten.
Arthur was just finishing the last note when Eames settled a hand on the back of Arthur's neck. He knelt down close to his ear and whispered, "Come to bed."
"…but I'm not tired yet," Arthur replied, smirking.
"Exactly," Eames said, tugging him out of his chair by hooking his hands under his armpits. "I've got some ideas to help wear you out."
Arthur wriggled his way out of Eames's grip. "Go, go back there, and I will join you in a second, all right? I've just got to put this stuff away and get my books together for class tomorrow."
"So studious," Eames said, giving him three quick kisses before strolling off into the bedroom, tugging his sweatshirt over his head in the process. "If' I'm gone in the morning, love, don't take it personal," he called out. "I've got to get out of here before daylight and let Saito know I'm not being held prisoner by some insane fans. I also would quite like a fresh pair of clothes."
"Do what you have to do," Arthur replied, locking his case before stepping over it to grab his backpack out of the corner and change his books out.
When he paced into the bedroom, Eames was already lounging on the bed completely nude, and Arthur blushed awkwardly and went into the bathroom. After he shut the door he took a moment just to look at himself in the mirror.
"Ugh…" He grumbled. "I look so shitty…"
Had he really looked that bad the whole time? He ducked his head under the sink and washed out all of the gel, toweled his hair mostly dry, washed his face, and was in the middle of brushing his teeth when Eames came in.
"What are you even doing?" Eames chuckled.
Arthur spit into the sink. "I was just ah…"
Eames wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist and hummed into the back of his neck. "You don't have to make such an effort for me."
"I didn't say that-" Arthur stammered but from the sound of his voice he came to the realization that he was nervous out of his mind.
This was going to be different than before, and he didn't know how to respond to that fact. After the way he'd felt that morning, he had never expected the evening to turn out this way, and now he was terrified that he was going to royally fuck up.
It was as Eames heard all of this without Arthur saying a word because he took him by the wrists and led him back into the room. "Don't be afraid of me," he said, smiling. "You're going to like this, I promise."
"I'm not afraid," Arthur tried to say, though he'd admitted that much to himself just moments ago, and he was still just as bad a liar as he always had been.
"It's not like I've ever done things this way either, you know," Eames said, slowly loosing the buttons on Arthur's shirt.
"You-you haven't?"
"No," Eames said, pulling Arthur's belt from its loops, "but I'm happy I'm doing this with you."
"You act like we've never had sex before," Arthur mumbled.
"Surely you and I both are aware of the fact that this isn't just sex," Eames replied, standing to his full height when Arthur's trousers fell around his ankles. "Don't be scared. It's not going to be bad. Just trust me, all right?"
Arthur swallowed heavily, feeling so small and so young before him now. He felt like he was a virgin again, and he was awkward and embarrassed by it. Still, he said, "I… I trust you."
"Come here," Eames said, pulling Arthur to him and setting his mouth in line with Arthur's, hesitating momentarily before pressing a kiss there. He took his time deepening the kiss, and Arthur let him take the lead, hands curling around the back of his neck. He'd never been kissed so sweetly, and it immediately started to relax him. He began to think that Eames was right about there being nothing to be afraid of…
Eames mouthed down Arthur's neck, but he didn't bite or scrape his teeth like he had in the past. He just layered him with feather light kisses, fingers tickling his skin but never harshly gripping at him, and Arthur felt heat radiating off of himself, building in strength the further down Eames would go.
"You don't have to be so gentle," Arthur whispered. "I'm not going to break."
"I'm doing this on purpose," Eames said, voice rumbling against Arthur's abdomen. "I want to show you how precious you are to me, and I'm always careful with those things… Lay down, Arthur, and just let me…" he trailed off as Arthur did as he was told, taking deep breaths as if he was trying to remain calm.
"Tell me what you want," Eames said, crawling on top of him and staring deep into his eyes. The dim lamplight cast a warm glow against the side of Eames's face, and Arthur was momentarily mesmerized by it.
"Just you," Arthur choked out, and his eyes fluttered closed and his head tilted back as Eames pressed a kiss to his Adam's apple, hand reaching up to stroke Arthur's half-hard prick until it was fully erect and leaking.
Arthur whimpered when Eames removed his hand, but a moment later he found Eames was shoving a finger into his entrance, slicked with lube. As he started thrusting the digit in and out, he knelt down over Arthur and kissed him again, deepening it only at Arthur's unspoken permission, and all Arthur could do was put his arms around his neck and kiss back, small sounds escaping into the back of Eames's throat.
Eames slipped in another finger, and Arthur was so relaxed from the way Eames was handling him that his muscles barely resisted.
"Tell me how it feels," Eames whispered as he broke the kiss, breathless, still hovering there as if waiting to dive back in, and he pushed in a third finger.
Arthur licked at Eames's bottom lips and said with a delicate little moan, "it feels good… just don't… just don't stop…"
"Do you want me to just fuck you with my fingers, then?"
"No! No…" Arthur groaned, hips lifting off of the mattress. "Please, Eames… please…" He was already starting to sound desperate, and normally that would bother him, but surprisingly it didn't. He wasn't thinking about anything else that night, just him and Eames. He didn't think he could think of his music, or of Ariadne, or of school even if he tried. Eames was everywhere, outside and inside, physical and mental. He wasn't sure how Eames was managing to fill up all of his sense, but it was impressive to say the least.
Eames pulled out his fingers, and Arthur heard as he ripped open the wrapper of a condom, causing him to open his eyes.
"No," Arthur said, reaching up to touch Eames's wrist. "Just… just do it. I trust you."
"Are you sure?" Eames asked, raising his eyebrows.
Arthur bit down on his bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah, I… I want to. I'm sure…"
Somehow this information seemed to touch Eames, because his eyes twinkled just a little brighter, his smile broadened just a little more. "I'll do whatever you want," Eames told him and knelt down to give him another long kiss while he slicked himself in preparation. A few moments later, he was shoving the head of his cock inside. Arthur's eyes watered a little, and he couldn't help but resist the pull of muscle at first, but it wasn't long until Eames was shoving himself deeper. Arthur's eyes rolled back into his head, and he couldn't help but claw at Eames's shoulders.
"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Eames asked unsurely, voice tight.
"No… No, it feels good…" Arthur moaned, lifting his head off of the pillows to kiss Eames again.
"Let me know-if you want me to-"
"Eames," Arthur growled and bit at Eames's lip, and he felt a smile tugging at his own as he said, "Stop acting like a coward. You're already in."
Eames chuckled a little, pulled back and pushed back in, slowly building up a rhythm, and Arthur felt like he was catching on fire. He started riding Eames, trying to get as much of him inside as possible, completely lost to him. Normally, he would realize how horrifying this fact was, but it felt too good for it to be wrong. It was Eames.
It was Eames who had meant everything that he'd said.
"Don't cry," Eames said, and surely enough, Arthur could feel him brushing away tears.
"No-I'm not, my eyes are just watering," he said. He wasn't sure if it was a lie or not. All he could feel was Eames's cock brushing against his prostate, sending white hot shocks through his entire system.
Yes, he was sure that it had never been like this before. It wasn't just the lack of protection or the way Eames was slow and gentle… No, it was why that was making it so different. They weren't even fucking anymore. The word fucking had far too harsh a connotation on it.
It was lame and had he heard it from someone else, he would have thought the whole 'making love' thing was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard, but it must have been what was happening because it was the only thing he could think of to describe it. The flutter in his heart was felt lighter, and the burn rolling through his body with every roll of Eames's hips didn't have the same harshness and urgency to it as it had. He wasn't so concerned with getting off as he was with experiencing the feeling, cherishing each blissful moment. It was more powerful than any emotion he'd ever experienced, the highest of highs.
Eames rolled his hips one more time, and Arthur gasped and half-shouted, half-moaned as he spilled all over himself, euphoria flooding over him again and again until he wasn't sure of where he was anymore. When he came to, Eames was climaxing, and Arthur was caught off guard by the way he filled him up.
When Eames pulled out, it was with a trembling gasp, and he collapsed on top of Arthur, lowering his head into the crook of his neck. All Arthur could currently do was stare up at the ceiling, chest heaving, eyes still watering, and hold Eames. He only slowly became aware of the come leaking out of him, and he made a small sound.
Eames smiled against his neck, kissed there, and pulled away from his embrace to kneel down and lick Arthur clean, and Arthur just lay there, sighing and whimpering until he was finished, and then Eames returned to his spot in Arthur's arms.
"…that was nice…" Arthur sighed, and he knew it was an understatement, but his vocabulary was currently failing him.
"I love you," Eames said quietly, sounding nearly asleep, as if the three words were nothing but a simple afterthought.
"I love you more," Arthur replied, eyes slipping shut, and he reached over and turned on his alarm clock.
He was asleep within minutes, and he never slept so soundly.
The next morning, Eames was gone just as he had said he would be, and Arthur was pissed only at the alarm for waking him from his peaceful slumber. He did lay there for a few moments, just breathing in the air for a while, but eventually he knew he had to get up and get to class.
He showered and dressed, grabbed his things, grabbed an apple, and headed off to class as if he was floating on air. He didn't even realize he had such a large smile on his face until he came into class and got stares from his classmates.
…but then, it wasn't really the only reason, he came to discover when he and Ariadne went to lunch and within five minutes a girl named Rebecca was standing at their table and staring at them.
"So… is it true?" she asked when Arthur made eye contact with her.
"Is what true?" Arthur asked flatly.
"Are you…?" Rebecca asked hesitantly, raising her eyebrows like Arthur was supposed to already know.
"Am I what?" Arthur asked, getting agitated.
Rebecca sat down and fiercely whispered, "Are you gay?"
Arthur blinked with surprised. "Where did you hear that?" he asked, trying not to give too much away with his eyes. Ariadne wasn't really helping by snorting into her green tea, but Arthur didn't think it was necessary to harshly elbow her in the ribs yet.
"Jonah heard you say it at Starkey's yesterday, and Steve's totally a witness," Rebecca said. "Everybody is talking about it, you know."
"Jonah's been known to stretch the truth to suit his need for drama," Arthur said with a roll of his eyes.
"So, it's not true?" she asked.
"I'm not going to answer that," Arthur replied, taking a bite of his sandwich. "I'm not going to feed into stupid rumors. If I say nothing, people can assume whatever they'd like, but if I tell you yes or no, people will constantly question whether or not I'm lying or telling the truth, and I don't want people constantly asking me if I'm a homosexual. There've been enough rumors about me throughout my schooling experience, and I didn't respond to them then either, and that's why they stopped talking about them."
"I didn't ask for a lecture," Rebecca complained, and Arthur just responded with a probably condescending smile.
"If I am or if I'm not, I really don't see what business it is of yours. Run along and leave me to my lunch, please," Arthur replied.
"You know, it's not like anyone's all that surprised. You always kind of came off as a homo," Rebecca sneered, wrinkling her nose at him, curling a long blonde strand of hair around her fingertip.
"Oh?" Arthur responded lightly. He wasn't going to take her bait.
"Yeah, you know, the way you dress, the way you obsess over your hair, the way you only hang out with the school's token lesbian."
He felt Ariadne tense from next to him, could see her jaw clench out of his peripheral vision. He settled one hand on her knee under the table, squeezing lightly. He didn't want her raging out of control either, even if he would have liked to see it after Rebecca had made such a crude and careless statement. Frankly, he was pissed off about it too, but to let her know that would be to let her ultimately win and he'd rather watch her flounder.
"Say what you like, Rebecca, but I wasn't the one caught sucking face with that slut Pam during homecoming," Ariadne replied venomously (after all, Arthur had taught her so well). "You'd best move along now unless you forget that I share a dormitory with you, and you'll definitely wake up looking like a dyke, complete with short hair and flannel shirts. I'd have a very nice time burning all those slutty rags you call clothes… though I'm sure they're so doused in that shitty perfume they'd burn up pretty quick. Run along to your sorority girls and cry to them, and then maybe you can have a pillow fight and make out some more!" Ariadne threw on her most agitated smile and clapped her hands together in a mock girly-girl fashion.
Rebecca huffed, clearly horrified of Ariadne's plans and angry she'd been talked to in such a way, but she didn't really have anything she could say to back it up. She stormed off, blonde hair swinging behind her and heels clopping dramatically.
"Bitch," Ariadne growled, looking back down to her meal and picking at it.
"Don't let her get to you," Arthur replied, starting to go back to his own meal when he noticed she still wasn't eating hers, instead choosing to just stare at it through a curtain of hair. "Ariadne…" he said more gently, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"I don't see how she can just talk to people like that," she said, voice cracking a little. "I mean, how dare she just come up and ask you stuff like that? That's so rude! And… and… Just because I wear boots, and I'm modest, and I don't have a boyfriend, I'm automatically a lesbian? She's such a bitch, such a complete and total bitch! I don't understand why boys want girls like her! It's sickening!"
"No real man wants a girl like her," Arthur assured her. "Don't let her make you feel bad about being who you are."
Ariadne sniffed, wiping at one eye. "I'm not… I'm not, okay?... It's just… Look, being a major in architecture, I go into class, and it's already a big boy's club. I'm one of three girls in my architecture class, three… and I'm good at what I do, and I'm proud of that, but… well, the boys only see me like dating material. Sure, I like to pretend they do, but I know they actually don't. I'm one of the guys, and when she says stuff like that it's… it just reminds me of that. It makes me feel like shit… and… I feel really horrible for saying this because I am really happy for you and ah-your relationship-but I was so jealous. I want someone to kiss me that way, you know? I want someone to look at me the way he looks at you. I want all of that stuff as sappy and silly as it is. You're really lucky, Arthur. Hang onto that and never let it go if you can help it."
Arthur found a blush creeping across his cheeks at that, and he pulled Ariadne into a quick hug.
She was right. He was lucky. He was extremely lucky.
He was only just now realizing how lucky he was to not be so alone in life, to realize that someone liked him just because he was him. Not only did Eames like him just because he was himself, he liked him in spite of himself. He had met him drunk, allowed himself to splutter out insult after insult at him, seen him when he was overwhelmed with self-loathing, told him he was precious and special even when he felt like absolute shit. He'd stuck around at least quite a few days, which was more than most people in Arthur's life (sans Ariadne of course), and even though he'd only known him for a short time it seemed that he knew exactly what to say and when to say it.
All he could do was hope he didn't fuck all of it up. He would definitely make an effort to hold onto it as long as he could.
…though, he couldn't help but still worry about what could happen.
"Well, look at you, all sunshine-y, all sparkly and happy."
Eames was caught a little off guard when he entered Saito's penthouse suite to find Nash and Yusuf there along with Cobb. Nash was the one who had spoken up, in a condescending little tone, lounged on Saito's bed with is bass guitar across his lap. He had this knowing little smirk on his face that immediately annoyed Eames, but there was a definite possibility that his face just looked like that.
"You look… greasy and unkempt as usual," Eames replied, beaming at Nash. It wiped the smirk off of Nash's face for the time being, but he still had an air of satisfaction that didn't dissipate.
"Cobb already told us that you have a sweet young thing," Yusuf said, and Eames wondered if Saito knew he was messing with the wires of his television set, "said it was some student, some bloke down at the college down the road that Mal works at."
"Ah… yeah, I do," Eames said, choosing to sit on the couch with Cobb and giving him a quick glare. "He's not that young though, and to be honest he's really not all that sweet a lot of the time, at least not to most people, and he's not a thing either… so, actually no, no I don't."
"You are playing with fire," Nash said. "Idiot, do you know what the press is going to do when they find out about all this? They will screw you into next Tuesday, you know."
"I've been able to keep my sexuality a secret for years, Nash, and Cobb's bloody married and no one has figured that out. To be honest, I'm not all that terribly concerned."
"True, but you haven't had a steady relationship since you started up in the band. You've only fucked around with guys on the side, guys no one would believe even if they said they fucked you," Nash replied. "Damn it, it's so fucking unfair that you get all the fan girls and yet you prefer man ass. It makes me sick."
Eames was not amused by Nash's skepticism, but he decided to let it slide for the time being because he was in too good a mood to be angry. "We're not here to talk about my relationships anyway. There's got to be some more important reason you're here, right? Surely you didn't come here just to hear the juicy details of how I like to do the nasty."
"Cobb finished writing the words to that song of yours and wanted us to start working on it so we could perform it at the concert. Also, Saito wants us to do some interviews for S.O.S. over the next few days since we're one of the most famous groups in the show," Yusuf answered. "There, I fixed the set. I told you I could do it."
"Interviews, eh? Where are the interviews being held?" Eames asked, lighting up a cigarette.
"Down where they're setting up," Cobb explained, "and a few of them at the Cobol School since a lot of their students are performing in the show as well. They wanted to interview Mal and the leading professor of music at that school, and maybe even a couple of students."
"Oh," Eames said, smiling a little. "Well, that should be fun then."
"No screwing your boyfriend in public," Nash said, and Eames would have liked to throw something at Nash if he'd had anything to throw.
"I'm not so unprofessional that I would do such a thing, you wanker," Eames grumbled, "oh, and Cobb, you're bloody terrible at keeping secrets. I'm not really sure how you've managed to hide your wife this long if you can't keep someone else's relationship under wraps for so much as two days."
"I thought they should know," Cobb said with a shrug. "You didn't tell me it was a secret from the rest of the band. They already knew that you preferred men, so I thought it was fine."
Eames pouted a little but didn't say anything.
He didn't want to tell Cobb that he didn't want them to know because he didn't want them to tell. He was sure Yusuf wasn't much of a problem since they were actually quite good friends even when they weren't performing, but Nash had had his fair share of problems with Eames in the past (mainly that he got more attention than Nash did for his looks, his playing, and his involvement in the songwriting-and probably the leather pants and showboating too), and all Nash needed was a reason to fuck Eames over. Nash wouldn't screw things up if it put the band at risk, unless he really thought it was worth it.
Nash's concept of worth didn't stretch too far.
…but Cobb didn't want to believe there was unrest in his band, and for the moment, there wasn't, so Eames kept it all to himself and reminded himself to try to be as civil as possible to everyone for the time being.
"Gentlemen," Saito said as he entered the room. "Let us talk."
Eames set his fears about Nash to the back of his mind for the moment. They all had more important things to deal with.
…but Eames wouldn't allow himself to forget.
Just so you guys know, I'm headed up to St. Louis for the next four days, and the hotel I'm at doesn't have internet, so you won't be getting updates from me unless I happen to have my laptop (and a finished chapter) at some point... but I probably won't be writing much anyway, since I'll be too busy having fun at Six Flags. :P
Hopefully this'll tide you over, since it's not too cliffhanger-y.