Arthur tapped his finger impatiently against the table and glanced at the clock every ten seconds. The slow internet connection he was using did not help his demeanor, and he frowned. It was almost two, and Cobb was going to be here any moment now with Ariadne. The thought of the young college student coaxed a small grin on his usually stoic face.
It had been a mere six months after the Fisher job when Arthur received a phone call from Cobb. He had found another extraction job and wanted to know if he was in. Of course, after knowing and working with Cobb for over eight years, he was obliged to say yes. But there was another motive behind him saying yes, one that could possibly be even stronger than his friendship with Cobb, and this motive's name was Ariadne.
He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about that girl that never failed to fascinate him. Was it the fact that she was so bright and intelligent, picking up his lessons and the concept of dream sharing faster than any before her? Or was it simply because Arthur couldn't resist and had to steal a kiss from her during the Fisher job, therefore bringing to life something deep inside him that caused him to feel this way? No matter the reason, one thing for sure was that even the simplest of thoughts about her brought a smile to his face and caused his heart to squeeze with pleasure.
Right as the clock struck two, the doors to the workshop opened, and in walked Cobb and Ariadne. Arthur turned and stood up to great them, trying his best to keep a neutral expression on his face. Cobb smiled warmly as he shook his friend's hand.
"I see you got here early," said Cobb, nodding to the desk scattered with Arthur's papers and files on the mark.
"Thought it would be good to get a head start." Arthur replied and shrugged his shoulders. Bracing himself for what he knew was to come, he looked down at Ariadne, who gave him a warm smile that made his heart turn to mush.
"It's great to see you again, Arthur." she said and embraced him in a hug. The feel of her body against his sent his blood racing and his face blushed slightly.
"It's good to see you, too, Ariadne." he replied, fighting to keep his face from showing anything but a small smile. He found himself lucky that her face was buried in his vest, and that Cobb was too busy reading over Arthur's research to notice their exchange.
"Where are they others?" asked Arthur after he pulled away from Ariadne.
"Eames will be here shortly," said Cobb in response. Turning to Ariadne he added, "We'd best follow Arthur's example and get a head start on the work ahead of us."
But as the day went on, Arthur found it difficult to concentrate on his research. His mind would wander and ultimately congregate towards a single subject. He tried not to glance up at her when he worked, but his efforts were unsuccessful. The intense look of concentration on her face that appeared as she sketched hypnotized him to the point that accomplishing anything else was out of the question.
When she had gotten the first level completed, Ariadne asked if she could do a few of her own tests on the dream level before showing them the layout. Cobb agreed, and she went off to a back room to work (coincidentally, it was the same room Cobb had used when attempting to keep his late wife alive). As soon as she was out of sight, Arthur found it easier to concentrate, and he worked hard to make up for lost time.
About an hour later, he and Eames were the only ones left, as Cobb had to relive his parents of babysitting duties. As Arthur was finishing up the last of his research, Eames stood up from his desk.
"Well I'm afraid I must be going, now. I'm quite famished and must eat something before I get any crazier." Arthur was about to shoot back some witty comeback, but at the last second settled on a grunt as proper acknowledgment. "Is that all your going to say as a goodbye, darling?" Arthur finally looked up at him.
"Sorry Eames, I'm terribly busy at the moment. Have a nice evening." The last part of that sentence sounded so forced that Eames laughed out loud.
"And you too, darling. Oh don't leave Ariadne by herself back there. The poor girl must be dog tired after all the work she's done today." Eames watched as Arthur's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly at her name being mentioned.
"I'll go check on her in a few minutes." he said as objectively as possible.
"Oh, I just knew you would, darling." Eames replied, wearing the biggest smile he could muster. Arthur glared at the man's sudden happiness as he turned and exited the workshop.
As soon as the door shut behind him, Arthur's eyes moved to the opposite side of the room to the door where Ariadne was working. He knew it would be ungentlemanly NOT to check up on her, so using that as a good enough reason, he got of from his chair and walked though the door.
He found her laying in a lawn chair still connected to the PASIV. He let himself smile as he worked his way over to her. He took the time to study her appearance; soft brown wavy hair, modest clothing, and her favorite scarf dangling beside the chair. Her lips face twitched slightly and he smiled even bigger. He shook himself; how could anyone like her ever notice someone like himself?
On an impulse, his hand reached out to grab hers, but as he moved her head turned to the side and he froze. Thinking she may be waking up, he quickly checked the time on the PASIV. He was confused and relieved to see that she had a few minutes left until the kick. The PASIV was supposed to inhibit movement during sleep, so something wasn't quite right.
As he watched her, she suddenly moaned aloud and tilted her head the other way. He watched her in silence, suddenly growing more nervous.
"Mmm...Arthur..."
Arthur's jaw almost fell to the floor. Did she somehow know that he was right there next to her? Suddenly her voice grew louder and her breathing more rapid.
"Arthur! Nooooo! No, don't go! Please, Arthur, I love you!"
Not fully comprehending her words, he looked down at her hand where the PASIV was connected, and found that it was inserted improperly. That was probably what was causing her to sleep-talk. Since she seemed to be having some kind of nightmare, he quickly turned off the machine. Instantly, her eyes jolted open, and she continued hyperventilating with fear.
"Shh, it's okay," he told her trying to calm her down. Hearing his voice, she did relax some and turned to face him.
"Arthur? What are you doing here?"
"I came to check on you and you were talking in your sleep." Her eyes grew as large as a saucer.
"WHAT? But I thought-"
"Yes, but the PASIV was not inserted all the way. I had to turn it off to get you out of that nightmare."
"What makes you think I was having a nightmare?" she asked suspiciously. He chuckled.
"You were screaming and hyperventilating. In my experience, that only occurs when something bad is happening." She took a deep breath, finally slowing her heart rate to a more reasonable level.
"Okay, I was having a nightmare, you were right. Wait," she looked him in the eyes with all seriousness. "you said I was sleep talking, so what kind of things was I saying?" As he thought about what she said, he finally realized that she said 'Arthur, I love you'. He tried to keep the emotions off of his face as he replied.
"What you said doesn't matter; your here now in the real world." she frowned and crossed her arms.
"Come on, Arthur, just tell me please?" Her piercing eyes were too much for him, and he looked away from her – everywhere except her eyes – and gave her an answer.
"You said 'No, don't go! Arthur, I love you!'" she gasped and put her hands over her mouth, a dark red blush forming on her face. Finally he looked at her. "So... is it true, Ariadne?"
All Ariadne could do was blush. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him, she was too embarrassed. Sure she had wanted to tell him – after she knew the feeling was mutual – but now she was sure that he would reject her no matter what.
Arthur could tell she was conflicted over something, so gently removing her hand from her mouth, he gave her a quick kiss. This one was just as wonderful as their kiss during the Fisher job, and as he pulled away he was anxiously awaiting her reaction. The surprise in her eyes soon transformed into a smile, which in turn made him smile too.
"Now that that's settled," said Arthur, "would you mind telling me about your little dream which somehow involved me?"
"Sure, as long as you can give me a ride back to my apartment."
"Certainly, m'lady," she blushed at the sign of curtsy. Arthur helped her from her chair and they walked off with his arm draped across her shoulder and a contented smile on his face.
This is what happens when I read about a gagillion Inception fanfictions centered around Arthur and Ariadne. GAAA, I HAVE NO LIFE :B Seriously, I am such a sucker for this couple! They are just too perfect! *slaps the writer for not expanding on their relationship*
*ahem* Anyway, I had this little idea about what would happen if they confessed their real feelings for each other while dreaming, and I had to write it. I'm sure there are some parts that are complete crap, but oh well. Enjoy the end result of boredom and too much Inception facfics.