"That went well I think" she murmured, placing her small overnight bag at her feet. She peered into his chocolate brown eyes and could feel all the tension of the mission melt away. "Alright, here is your room key. I'm right next door if you need anything" he said, astutely as always. Always so together, no emotion slipping through. Ariadne took the room key and turned on her heel to enter her room.
"…oh and just so you are warned," Ariadne turned back to Arthur, expectant of what he was about to say. "No one ever sleeps well after their first job, especially after how deep in you went. But don't forget, I'm here if you need me." She allowed a slight smile to creep across her face despite the forewarning of a sleepless night to come. "Goodnight Arthur" she murmured as she watched his hands smoothly unlock his own door, and within seconds the 3-piece suit was gone with a gentle click of his closing door behind him. Ariadne gathered her thoughts and entered her room finally. "You work with him, nothing more" she whispered to herself as she unzipped the tight pencil skirt that had been constricting her movement for the last few hours.
After the comfort of a hot relaxing bath and a shot of the vodka she found in the mini-bar, Ariadne crawled between the silky smooth hotel sheets. Her eyes grew heavier as her mind grew cloudier. "Sleepless nights, hah!" she thought before drifting into the unconscious.
Ariadne thrust her body up off the mattress, clutching her chest firmly. Gasping heavily for air, she could not breathe and panic struck through her body. As she whimpered for breath, she released her hold around her torso and neck, allowing the airflow back to her lungs. Sweat dripped from her forehead, onto the perfect white sheets that were now a crumpled mess at her feet. Arthur was right. It wasn't falling asleep that was the problem, but what was endured during was traumatic. Ariadne placed her head between her knees and focused on regaining a steady breathing pattern.
"I'm right next door if you need anything"
Her mind flicked back to that brief conversation only a few hours ago. Could she? Did he really mean it? No, she couldn't just knock on his door at 3am… She mulled over the decision for a few seconds before feeling her body begin to shake slightly as her nightmare of projections descending over her body and burning her skin off replayed in her mind.
She peeled away the sweaty sheets from her feet, grabbed her room key and stepped out into the hotel corridor. With one last deep breath she approached Arthur door and knocked twice. It only took a few seconds before realizing how wrong it was to interrupt his sleep just because she couldn't get a handle on herself. She turned away, cursing aloud at how stupid the whole idea was when a warm hand wrapped around her arm, stroking it softly. "I knew you would be back" he whispered as she turned around to see his warm smile. Still completely dressed in his suit, waistcoat with pocket watch and all, and hair still slicked back perfectly. He peered into her emerald eyes which normally shone so bright, but now they appeared glazed and worn, as if she was on the verge of tears. She collapsed into his chest, burying her face deep into his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, remembering how shaken he had been after the night of his first mission. For a few seconds, he just held her close, with no words needed to fill the silence. Ariadne eventually drew back, wiping a tear from her cheek and fixing her gaze firmly at the carpet beneath her bare feet. He placed his hand on her face, forcing her to look at him. "It is nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone needs someone to tell them that they are okay" he spoke just softly enough for her to hear. "Come in, have a cup of tea" he said as he opened the door behind him and gestured her into his room.
Ariadne cautiously walked in, noticing the unruffled sheets with an open newspaper, and an open book laying absently on them. A pair of reading glasses had been left on top of the newspaper, and an abandoned cup of coffee was left on the nightstand. "You weren't asleep?" she asked softly, trying to prevent her voice from cracking. "After enough experience, the sleep you get whilst entering the dream world actually acts as rejuvenating sleep. It takes a while to accustom your subconscious to it, so initially you'll be left feeling exhausted after each mission," he replied as he walked over and sat next to her on the side of his bed. Ariadne could still feel herself shaking, partially because of how short her pajama pants were, and how thin the accompanying tee-shirt was but mainly because the fear of her nightmare still coursed through her. Arthur noticed her quivering, and placed his arm around her waist, stroking the side with his thumb. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes for a few seconds. As her eyelashes parted, she was met with Arthur's gaze of swirling hazel and gold. She fought to restrain herself but had no willpower left. She lifted her head up and placed her lips onto Arthurs, tasting the sweet coffee taste that lingered. They felt as soft as she had dreamt but before she could stop it, he had drawn away. Still looking down at her, his face was streaked with worry.
"Ariadne," he murmured, "I like you. But this isn't because you want to, but because you had a rough night and well….because I'm here."
His words burned into her mind like hot daggers. She had wanted this for so long, but always had the sense to conceal it. Now was just the time that she could not restrain herself any longer.
"You don't want me?" she whimpered only just audibly, bringing her knees up to her chest as she spoke.
A look of total astonishment lined his forehead, and he took a few seconds to choose his words carefully. "I've wanted this, wanted you, ever since you first walked into the warehouse." He brought a hand up, and brushed a strand of loose hair off her face. "Do you know how hard it is to watch you swagger around in those tight skirts and high heels, looking so in control, but when I still know how dangerous it is for you".
Her eyes shone brighter than he had ever seen them. She leant into him once more, but could feel how hesitant he was. "Like I said, I'm always here for you, but you're only doing this because you are afraid…"
Ariadne interrupted him, pressing her lips to his with a new found force. She broke away for only a second to whisper a simple "I've wanted this since I first walked into the warehouse too. And if you get to swagger around in this," she stroked his silk waistcoat gently "which never fails to distract me from my work, then I get revenge with my high heels."
A rare smile crept across Arthurs lips and before long, his silk waistcoat was left in a neatly folded pile at the foot of the bed.
For the rest of the night, Ariadne slept a deep sleep, devoid of all nightmares, as she curled up against Arthur. Just like he said; "he would always be there for her".
The end.