Arthur stood watching the waves, the glowing sun slowly sinking away from the world. A hand climbed into his own and he squeezed the hand of Eames. The pair smiled at each other, content in the moment. It had been a year since their first date, a very long, awkwardly fun date that had left the pair excited for more.
"Do you love me, Arthur?" Asked Eames. Arthur looked confused, but answered the question.
"And you trust me?" Asked Eames. Again, Arthur was confused, but answered the question nonetheless.
"How would you feel about spending forever with me?" Asked Eames, and in one smooth motion, he knelt on one knee, and produced a box. Eames opened the box, containing a white gold ring. Arthur was lost for words, he'd thought of this moment, but now here it was, right before him and he was lost for words.
"Yes, yes, YES!" He shouted, loud enough for the birds to hear. Eames slipped on the ring and the pair hugged each other. Arthur felt his waist squeezed and he was suddenly being spun around by Eames, on a beach, after being asked to marry him. The pair put their foreheads together, smiling laughing and enjoying the moment. Eames kissed Arthur, a passionate, content kiss that sealed the moment. It was official.
Arthur was engaged to Eames.
Arthur checked his watch for the fifth time. Eames was now an hour late on their first date. Splendid. Just as he was thinking of leaving, Arthur spotted Eames' car outside, and Eames got out. He walked into the small café wearing a grey suit. Arthur and Eames shook hands and Arthur spotted a small logo. Armani suit, very impressive thought Arthur, a large contrast in comparison to the simple shirt and waistcoat that Arthur was wearing.
"Sorry for my late arrival, mid-London traffic," said Eames. Arthur laughed it off, trying not to be offensive. He was beginning to grow really nervous in the presence of Eames, this had never happened before.
"It's perfectly fine, you wore the suit as promised and I can forgive you for that" replied Arthur. The men laughed and ordered simple coffee and cake. They passed the time on their first date talking about childhood memories, awkward moments in life and strange co-workers from previous jobs. 2 hours had passed by the time Arthur finished his first coffee.
"So whatever in the world possessed you to move to mid-London of all places?" asked Eames.
"I wasn't really my choice to be honest, it was either move and get a higher paying job, or stay in America in a fast declining economy. The move to London seemed exciting, and besides, it gave me a chance to hear about this amazing British accent all my friends told me so much about" said Arthur.
There was a pause, and both men burst into a light hearted laughter. A waitress came and took away the empty cups and Eames asked for the bill. Reluctantly, Arthur let Eames pay, but slipped a five pound note into his pocket. They took a stroll along the Thames and watched a dying sun sink into the night sky. The night city of London revealed itself, bright lights, fast cars, taxis and young people going out in skimpy outfits to go clubbing. The men passed a hen party on their way to a club. Both men spotted a few girls look them up and do and smile, but Eames slipped his hand into Arthur's and the girls sighed with disappointment. Eames and Arthur smiled at each other, a secret passing between them without a single word having to be said. Arthur felt his heart do leaps and bounds, his stomach was aflutter, and his mind was spinning. Eames, this sexy, smart, handsome, well-built man, was holding his hand. Arthur, who was shy, simple and had a slight build to him. It wasn't much, but walking 20 yards holding the hand of a man most women desire was a dream come true to Arthur. When they reached Eames' car, Eames held the door open and acted like a true gentleman. Arthur's expectations of the entire evening had been blown out of the water.
"You live in the East side don't you?" asked Eames.
"Yes, in the Edgemont apartment" replied Arthur. They drove with the radio on, classical music accompanying them. It was a comfortable silence. Eames had his hand rested on the gearstick, and Arthur placed his hand lightly on top. He looked over slightly at Eames, who had a smile in the corner of his mouth. As they reached Arthur's flat, Arthur suddenly realise how reluctant he was to leave the company of Eames. He had relaxed and forgotten about due dates, company projects and co-worker issues. It was a comfort, a helping hand, a simple shoulder to lean on, something Arthur had always been and never had. Arthur took his keys out his pocket and put them in the door, unlocking it.
"I must say, Mr Eames, I didn't think I'd have as good a time as I did, thank you" said Arthur. Eames laughed, the insulting compliment had left a slight tension, but it was quickly fixed. Arthur felt a hand cupped on his cheek, he looked up and put a hand on Eames' neck, feeling the soft gradient of Eames' skin. Out of nowhere, he pulled Eames in, and the pair shared an intimate kiss that relieved the tension. They stopped, breathless and eyes closed. Arthur held onto Eames for a moment, trying to keep a memory of every detail. The way Eames breathed, his scent, the touch of his hand on Arthurs face.
"Goodnight Eames," said Arthur, kissing him on the cheek and going into the apartment. Arthur closed the door, put his keys on the side table and collapsed in a heap on the floor. What a night. Arthur went on a Skype call with his sister, Emily, in Chicago. It something like 4 in the afternoon over there, so she would be home. Arthur cracked open a beer and talked through every detail of the date. When he had finished, he realised the kiss had seemed a little hasty, but definitely worth it.
Emily listened as Arthur described how he felt. His family hadn't really accepted his sexuality, or who he was, disregarding his sister. His little sister had loved him for who he was throughout all the drama, and they were best friends. She was getting married soon, and had wanted him to find a partner so the wedding wouldn't be too awkward with so much family around. Arthur took a sip of beer and said goodnight to Emily. He undressed and turned on the warm water of the shower. It ran over his head and down his body, relieving aches and pains. Arthur closed his eyes and thought back to the sculpted, perfect face of Eames. His grey eyes, that held so much life and pain and knowing. His eyes had pierced right through to the very core of Arthur, seeing all the colour and life that Arthur held, without him even knowing.
Sneaky bastard he thought, but how could he be mad? If he had avoided gaze, he wouldn't have been able to see those eyes, those lips, his hair. He dried and readied himself for bed. As Arthur climbed into the covers and got ready to sleep, he smiled and whispered "Goodnight Mr Eames". And on the other side of London, Eames replied "Goodnight Mr Arthur".
Arthur's alarm buzzed loudly in his ears. He smacked a lazy hand onto the dismiss button then climbed out of bed. It was Sunday, a day which he could relax and spend time with his companion, a springer spaniel dog by the name of Lily. Lily ran up to him and waited patiently; she wagged her tail and ran around in a circle. Arthur laughed to himself. He got dressed in casual clothing, nothing special for a morning jog. He put the harness on Lily and they strolled towards the park. It felt good; the early morning dew was just leaving. It was spring, so daffodils were everywhere as far as the eye could see. The morning sun was just about up, the sky a clear blue with only a few clouds. He looked down at Lily, then set the music on his iPod.
"Ready?" he asked the dog. To signal she was ready, Lily barked and they began to jog along the path. After a few hundred metres, they stopped and bought a water bottle from a stand. Arthur let Lily loose from the lead, gave her water and threw her favourite tennis ball out into the distance. Lily chased after the ball, but after 5 minutes she wasn't back. Arthur was a little concerned, so he went to investigate. He found Lily in a tug of war game with a black Labrador. The owner was calling the dog. Arthur yelled Lily's name several times but she didn't respond. Both dogs were too determined to give up the branch. The owner appeared from behind the bush. It was Eames.
Uh oh.
Arthur started to panic. He was wearing scruffy, old clothes that made him look fat and podgy. His hair, or slight lack of hair, was messy and untamed. Yet Eames, standing there in grey joggers, a hoodie and old trainers was still somehow, handsome. Arthur was feeling incredibly awkward. He quickly realised he needed to get Lily away from Eames' dog in case they started a fight. He took her by her collar and made her let go. Arthur put Lily back on the leash, making her sit obediently by his side, as he'd trained her to. The black Labrador dragged the branch back to his owner, put it by his feet and sat, waiting for it to be thrown again. Arthur laughed and scratched the back of his neck.
"I didn't realise Hunter ran this far ahead. Sorry about that" said Eames. Arthur laughed awkwardly, remembering his bold, odd move from the night before.
"I didn't realise Lily would be so over-protective of a branch, so I guess we both have something to be sorry for" replied Arthur. Eames laughed to himself.
The tension could have been cut with a butter knife. Neither man knew what to say, but knew what they wanted to say. They wanted to be away, somewhere else, alone where they could embrace each other. But it had only been the first date, and the feelings were too early to embrace.
"About yesterday, I-" began Arthur. Eames waved his hands in the air, showing that he didn't mind it.
"I enjoyed myself; it was a way to end the evening. It was a nice kiss, so don't worry yourself" said Eames, a smile spreading across his face. Relief flushed over Arthur, a tidal wave of comfort and regained happiness. Eames shook hands with Arthur and went on his way, the dog named Hunter followed. As he walked past Arthur, Arthur swore he felt a hand touch his butt lightly. He turned and looked at Eames, but Eames didn't turn around. Maybe it was accidental. But what if it wasn't? Maybe he meant it. But what did that mean if he did? Arthur was confused with so many questions spinning in his head. It was only 9 am in the morning! They returned to the apartment, Arthur's mind spinning with so many questions. He showered, changed and began working on the new project
Arthur sifted through the mounds of paper work, scanning each document and making notes of important information. Arthur loaded the company laptop, writing notes into detailed reviews and reports of company progress, and how the company could possibly improve. By midday, he had finished all his work. Lily was sat chewing a bone in her basket, intense concentration as she tried to reach a specific point. He smiled at the dog, who looked up at him and started panting from all the energy she'd used trying to get the right point. Arthur stretched in the chair. It was too early for a beer, so coffee would do for now. Arthur thought back on the little coffee shop on the corner, and the grocery shop next to it. He made a list of all the things he needed, dressed appropriately for modern society, put Lily in her harness and went for a walk into midday London. The sun was beginning to shine more and the sky was clear. Arthur and Lily reached the coffee shop in a short time. He tied Lily up outside and quickly went to get his order. Arthur walked to the corner shop, but realised the market would be a cleaner, healthier option. He brought everything he needed from the market. The smells and sounds enticed Arthur in. The fresh fruit, the sizzling bacon, the multiple cheeses. It was a lively and friendly atmosphere, even for a Sunday. He watched someone run into an old lady without apologising. It was pointless to call the boy back, so he went over and picked up some of her shopping. She thanked him and stroked Lily, who sat patiently and enjoyed the fuss.
Arthur was about to move on when he heard someone calling him faintly in the distance. He turned around in a circle, trying to spot whoever it was that was calling him. He looked around and spotted a brunette girl walking at a speedy pace and waving her hands at him. As the girl got closer, a smile began to spread across Arthur's face. Ariadne. Arthur hadn't seen Ariadne since the move to England 2 months ago. In the middle of the busy London market, they hugged and smiled at each other. Ariadne made a huge fuss of Lily, who wagged her tail happily. Even with all the shopping, they made their way to the local park to get rid of some of Lily's excess energy. Within a minute of entering the park, Lily had found a stick which Arthur promptly threw half way across the field.
"So what are you doing here in jolly old England?" Asked Arthur.
Ariadne laughed, "Vacation with my friends. I'm working in the same company as you, so I'll see you tomorrow as well. Your sister told me where you lived and I wanted to visit. I thought we could make pancakes like the good old days" she said. They looked at each other and burst out laughing simultaneously. It was 3 in the afternoon by the time they returned to the apartment. A hot sunny day definitely called for a chilled beer to compliment the feel. They sat on the balcony, discussing the time they hadn't been in contact with each other. Arthur thought back to all the high school memories he shared with Ariadne. The chemistry lessons, the parties and all the support she had provided. Ariadne had been a helping hand during the time in which Arthur had to explain himself to his parents. She had taken him in and cared for him and he had beaten up one or two asshats that had hurt her. Ariadne was a second little sister to him, he cared for her as much as his real sister. It was nearing 8PM when Ariadne left. Arthur lit the fire in the front room and wrapped up in a blanket. He found his favourite book and picked up from the last time he read. By 9 PM he and Lily were both asleep with the fire dwindling in the last flames of life.