A/N: Ah, holiday boredom - resulting in me writing my first fanfiction in months, and my first Inception one ever. And it's only day one! So yeah, a little drabble for one of my favourite pairings. Enjoy!
Sometimes, Cobb reflected, it was nice to have the strain and pressure of working towards a job broken. Especially if it was broken by a certain point man and forger – the pair's bickering tended to leave the rest of the team amused for hours. And today was no exception.
"You don't even hesitate before knocking me back, darling!" Eames protested as he followed Arthur towards the point man's desk.
"I don't need to hesitate," Arthur snapped, taking a seat.
"You don't even know what I'm like!" Eames followed suit, dragging another chair across the floor as close to Arthur as possible and sitting in it.
"I know exactly what you're like, and that is the reason that I 'knock you back'," Arthur groused. Eames raised an eyebrow.
"You misunderstand, love," he said, adding a layer of innuendo to his voice. "You don't know what I'm like."
Arthur paused in his work and looked at the forger, who seemed to be very pleased with himself at all this.
"One little kiss and you'd find out, darling," Eames taunted. Arthur rolled his eyes, by now quite used to the other man's flirting.
"In your dreams, Mr. Eames." He paused. "And not even there."
"Oh come on Arthur, don't be so uptight. Just one kiss."
"Why must you continually annoy me when I'm trying to work, Mr. Eames?" Arthur sighed, not expecting a serious answer in the least.
"Because you're so much fun to see riled up, darling," Eames said in a mock dreamy tone.
"Is that why you're doing this? To annoy me to death?" Arthur demanded. Eames seemed to consider this.
"Well, usually, but I'm doing this specifically because I want to kiss you," he said seriously. And damn it if Arthur could tell whether he really meant it or not.
Eames just sat there, serious expression not even flickering slightly. Well, until Arthur leaned forward and kissed him, hard, on the lips. The forger didn't even think before responding in kind, moving his hands to Arthur's back and oh dear Lord Arthur the stuffy, uptight point man already had his tongue about halfway down Eames' throat-
Just as suddenly as he had leant forward Arthur pulled away again, except now his cheeks were flushed and his neat shirt was crumpled in a way that Eames suddenly thought was very, very attractive.
"Now, will you please leave me to work?" Arthur said as he glared. The effect was somewhat ruined as he was panting, just a little, but Eames chose not to comment.
A silence had fallen in the warehouse. Of course everyone had been watching the bickering – it was free entertainment. Ariadne was wide eyed, staring at Arthur as if he'd just announced he was moving to Hawaii to raise carrier pigeons. Yusuf was grinning, and Eames was willing to bet his wardrobe that he was thinking along the lines of "About time!". Cobb was just watching, as if he were waiting for the punch line. Eames considered this, then decided to go for it.
"You know, Arthur, for such a prude, you're a good kisser."
"Eames…" Arthur growled in a low voice that most definitely didn't make Eames want to throw him over the nearest flat surface. Not at all. He ignored the warning and, seeing as he was already on Arthur's hit list right now, figured he might as well go the whole hog for it.
"Especially that tongue. I mean, where-"
No one was really surprised by the punch that connected with Eames' jaw mid-sentence, and Arthur's subsequent storming out.
The forger was left sitting on the floor where he'd fallen, rubbing his jaw and looking thoughtful. Cobb rolled his eyes and finally turned away. Evidently Arthur's attack had been the punch line he'd been waiting for, as ironic as that was.
"I don't think he's going to forgive you for that one," Yusuf called out from behind his chemicals. Eames flashed a lopsided grin, even though only Ariadne, who was still staring, saw it.
"Please," he said cockily. "No one can kiss like that without meaning it."
"Maybe you should lay low around Arthur for a bit, Eames," Cobb said, not looking up from his plans. "Just in case."
Eames nodded and stood up, hand still on jaw. "You may be right, Cobb," he murmured. "That boy has got one mean left hook." He brightened suddenly. "He can't stay in denial forever. I can wait." And with that, he walked out of the warehouse, hands in pockets, whistling a jaunty tune.
Ariadne finally looked away from Eames. "What just happened?" she asked aloud. Cobb and Yusuf's laughter was the only answer she received.