The Way I Love
-Inception-
The sun beat down hard on his shoulders as he made his way down the street, toward an unassuming black bricked building on the corner of 35th and Lexington. Around him, civilians wandered slowly and aimlessly down the block, their eyes roaming window displays and their minds fully preoccupied. A few bratty kids flew down the street, or screamed for a toy, and he shut his eyes to submerge the boiling annoyance. His eyes darted back toward the outline of the building…and he could have sworn he saw one architect enter the building like it was something she did every morning. He smirked. They were on schedule.
The walk up to the building was common red brick, dulled from the sun and cracked from years of battery from the elements. The front doors, dark hickory from what he could remember, stood ajar and inviting. The bay windows looking out from the front toward the street showed no sign of life behind them. Instead they shown with a clear brilliance and he was glad he had shades on. He glanced up toward the glass walls of the second floor—the flutter of a yellow scarf from the window…another sign. He nodded, and entered.
The chair behind the heavy front desk spun quickly, and his gun was raised and ready before Arthur came into view. "Mr. Eames."
"Bloody hell Arthur. Don't do that. I was about to shoot you."
He smirked. "Nervous?"
He scoffed. "You wish."
"Ariadne is upstairs. I'm going to wait here for Cobb and Yusuf…make sure nobody else comes snooping around too."
"Right. I'll tell her you said 'hi' lover boy." Ever since he had caught Arthur kissing Ariadne at the warehouse after hours four months ago, he hadn't let him live it down. And why should he? It was the first real relationship he knew Arthur had been in since he had known him—the first one in years.
The metal stairs leading up to the second floor was scuffing the bottoms of his shoes, and he gritted his teeth once again. Upstairs, the hardwood was smooth and polished, without a blemish on its surface. A few black leather chairs were placed strategically around a dark coffee table, a sunbeam fell smoothly onto its surface, reflecting toward the gray wall across the room.
Ariadne was standing with her arms hugging her body against the far wall, staring intently at the blueprint in front of her—one last look over so that nothing could go wrong. Her head snapped upward, her bangs falling over her left eye when weight made the floor creak. She smiled.
"Jon"
"Addie" He was the only one allowed to call her that. He suspected Arthur had his own—more private name for her and he wondered why the thought left a slightly sour taste in his mouth. He shook his head and enveloped her in a quick hug, and his eyes brightened when he smelled the faint fragrance of orange spreading from her hair.
"Trying a new shampoo love?"
"Conditioner, actually. Do you like it?"
"Love it, darling."
There was a soft sound of someone clearing their voice, and he turned out of Ariadne's embrace to find Arthur, Cobb, and Yusuf on the stairs.
"Having fun?"
He smiled at Cobb, and took pleasure in the dark look that took hold of Arthur's face for a brief second. "Don't worry darling, I'm not here to steal your pretty little girlfriend. Don't look so upset."
Arthur blushed crimson red and turned from their view, going over to the coffee table to set up the PASIV.
"So, we all know what we do?" Quick nods from the others.
"No surprises Arthur?"
His face was stone set, but anger danced in his eyes. "No surprises." He forced out, sending a PR smile at Cobb before walking over to Ariadne and kissing her head. "Are you sure you want to come?"
"Yes. I promised I'd stay out more for you, but I'm using this as a little…farewell…I guess."
"Thank you." He heard Arthur mumble into the crook of her neck, holding her close to him. He grimaced.
Ariadne looked slightly upset, but then her eagerness returned. "He should be here soon. Should we get ready?"
Arthur pulled back, kissed her on the head, and then turned back. Yusuf, you're in that back room, untill we give you the signal…you remember what that is don't you?"
"Yes…yes." He mumbled. 'Honestly…you'd think my IQ was under 156." He slammed the door shut, and there was a huff, a crash, and a curse. Ariadne giggled, and he found his own smile forming.
"Ariadne, you'll be—no surprise—the master architect on the project. That's why I told you to study the special blue print. You did—didn't you?" Cobb's voice was only slightly uneasy.
"Yes. I promise."
"Arthur, you're my assistant. I think you're more than ready." Arthur nodded, his face set. He could see his bloody cogs whirring.
"Eames…you're—regrettably the secretary. Now, no shit. I don't need him to walk out of here."
"Honestly Cobb, where is the trust? When have I ever led this group astray?"
"Well there was the time you accidently poured wine on the Duchess of Bordeaux." Ariadne offered with a smile.
"Or the time in Spain when you made fun of Rickey Martin and the mark got angry and tried to punch you" Cobb said with a smirk.
"There was that one time—"
"Alright, let's not bring up unpleasantries shall we?"
Yusuf huffed from behind the door, not pleased that he had been interrupted. He crossed the room, and stood against the railing. "When does he get here? I'm itching to get started."
"Heads up." Everyone turned to see a limo pulling up along the side of the street. A few pedestrians stopped and stared, and one took a picture before walking on. The group quickly scurried behind Eames down the stairs. He fell heavily against the desk, before flopping down in the seat and busied himself with fake paperwork he 'borrowed' from Arthur's desk. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Ariadne as she examined another blueprint, her eyes furrowed. She motioned to Cobb and there was a quick and heated conversation before they were silenced by the door ringing quickly.
He only looked up from his work when the mark—a Mr. Franco Lewis—reached the desk and began tapping his feet. "Ah hello. Welcome to Sunset Design…how many I help you? Do you have an appointment?"
He waited untill Lewis started to speak, and then purposefully called the front desk. He held up a finger, and Lewis frowned. He suddenly had a hard time keeping a straight face. He pretended to listen for a few seconds before almost standing violently. "WHAT! I TOLD you SPECIFICALLY that MR. DECRESIO ONLY LIKES WHOLE WEAT! We can't just GIVE him plain white! He'll murder us both…and then FIRE us!" The mark looked angry, and he cleared his throat. "FINE. I'll be calling you back in a few seconds. Don't THINK this is over." He hung up, and then calmly looked back up at Lewis.
"Sorry about that, let me page Mr. Decresio." He paged him over the intercom, and Cobb entered with his arm's spread. "AH! Mr. Lewis. I trust your ride over was smooth and uneventful?"
"Very."
"Please, this way. Our best architect has been looking over your specifications and has come up with a blueprint we both think you will enjoy."
"Perfect."
As they walked away, he heard Lewis remark about the poor behaviors of his secretary.
"Sorry, he's new. Won't happen again."
He sniggered.
"This is your best architect?" The contempt in his voice made her almost want to slap him across his face. Almost.
"Yes. Very ingenious. Did some work for the president's summer vacation home a few months ago and he hasn't been able to shut up about it."
"THEE President?"
"Of course, who else? Now, Ms. Atwood, please show Mr. Lewis your design."
She led him over to the table, and began showing him the fake blueprint for his military instillation. It was almost a relief when Arthur came scurrying carrying 'fresh spring water from the Alps (of course it was imported, nothing else was better!) for all three of them, Lewis' laced with sleeping draught. He was out in seconds.
"That ASS!"
"Calm down Ariadne. Your emotions are getting the best of you, and that will mess with the dream if you aren't careful." She huffed, and looked down, but Arthur's strong hands on her shoulders and his thumbs making swirling motions on her arms calmed her down quickly. "Fine. Thank you."
"Anything for you." He froze. "EAMES I CANNOT believe what you just pulled! That could have ruined the whole MISSION!"
"Oh darling, relax, it's going fine and nothing is ruined. He smiled and Ariadne almost laughed.
"We need to move him upstairs for the PASIV. You give Yusuf the all clear Ariadne."
She nodded and then ran up the stairs, tapping twice on the wall against the stairs three times in succession. The door opened again and Yusuf stumbled out. "About time" he mumbled, but she just smiled.
"He's bloody fucking heavy darlings."
"Shut up Eames." Cobb panted.
"Oops, he hit his head on the railing…he'll have a bruise for a few days."
"EAMES!"
They laid him unceremoniously on the floor, and hooked him up. Then with nods, they laid down gently on the floor—Ariadne took the couch since she was a lady—and with a quick nod from Yusuf, plunged the needles into their veins as Yusuf pushed the button.
They awoke again in a museum, glass windows shining light onto the marble floor in large bands. Cobb looked around happily for a few seconds, before feeling the presence of another and turned to face Ariadne. "This is amazing. The paintings all look so real."
"You'll have to thank Arthur; he took me to see them a few times."
"I'll remember that." He whispered, moving slowly toward a painting on his left.
"Common Cobb, it's time to find the others"
They walked a short distance along a peculiarly empty hall filled with sunshine and statues untill they came across the others near the bathrooms. "Bloody hell, you couldn't make some furniture Ariadne?"
He stood up, and fell silent, nodding as his eyes swiveled around the room. "It's wonderful though darling."
"Let's go find Lewis. I left him in the pavilion, just past where Cobb and I ended."
"It's strange. Why aren't there any projections? I knew your mazes were good Addie, but not this good."
"It's….not me. Something else is doing this."
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
The glass windows around them blew out, and with a shriek she was on the ground, the others around her…or at least most of them. "COBB!"
He was lying in a pool of his own blood, his body fading quickly as he awoke.
"Fuck. We just failed. Arthur I thought you said he wasn't trained!"
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
"Nothing showed up! I…there was no record!" he screamed over the shots. "I can…I think I can still get the information though, all I need to do is find him!"
"Right…I'll distract him. You go with Addie and find him!"
He nodded, and grabbing her hand, pulled her up off her feet. A shard of glass cut her knee.
They hadn't made it half way down the hallway when an explosion rocked the building.
"They THREW a fucking GRENADE!"
"Good luck!" Arthur screamed back, pulling her faster.
"Stay safe!" She called back, staring behind her untill he was lost to view."
They had barely gotten around the corridor when there was a loud, sickening sound of gunfire and Ariadne shrieked. He threw himself off the floor, his heart pounding in his chest, thoughts of Ariadne lying in a pool of blood on the floor propelling him faster. But when he reached the next hallway, he discovered that it wasn't Ariadne, but Arthur that was lying in his own blood. She was leaning down into him, his head in her lap, begging him to stay with her. She looked up to see him and called desperately.
"Common love, we have to finish this."
"But...Arthur…"
"He'll wake up. Don't worry."
She nodded, wiping tears. "I know where he is, common!"
"They fled down the hallway, the distant sounds of pounding feet behind them.
His eyes roamed around the room, settling on a metal door. "What is that?"
"A…supply closet?"
"Stay there untill this is over. I don't want you hurt. If you are…Arthur will kill me—no pun intended. And the dream will collapse."
"But…"
"Please love…"
She nodded, and kissed his cheek, holding him for a second before locking herself in the closet.
Running on, he threw himself up the stairs, dodging a bullet that flew close enough to rustle his hair. Pushing open the door, he staggered and then fixed himself before barricading the door and making his way over to the mark.
He could now understand why Ariadne had placed him in this room. War paintings hung from the walls, and a memorial for the Vietnam War lay in the center. Plus, there was only one door. He walked up behind him, and remarked "lovely paintings"
"Why yes, they are quite good."
"Intriguing indeed. Makes you wonder what's in those secret military instillation bases doesn't it?"
"Oh…It's not that hard to figure out, not really."
"Really?"
"You just have to dig around a little and find out what they're interested in."
"So…what are you interested in then?"
"Me?"
"Yes."
The walls shook slightly and dust fell from the ceiling. A shrill scream came from outside the door. The projections had found Addie.
"I'll tell you a secret then. It's ingenious really. I've been buying up land in the remote jungles of Uruguay, and I'm planning—once it's done anyway…to build my weapon."
"Weapon?"
"A bomb so powerful it could literally wipe half a country off the face of the earth. Imagine what countries like Iraq and Afghanistan could do with such a bomb? Imagine the money?"
The walls were crumbling suddenly. There was a crash, and sections of the ceiling blew down from the sky. The ground shattered and collapsed, the paintings falling from the walls and the Vietnam memorial was swallowed up. And then he woke up to screams.
Hey guys! I hope you like it! Now the big question is who's screaming? And how does Eames feel about Ariadne? So the question is this: should this be a one sided fic, or should Eames somehow steal Ariadne away from Arthur? ;) Talk to you guys later! Reviews make the world go round (and give me a big stupid smile). Thanks for reading! Review please!