Author's Greeting: Hello again! I've got a short little fic inspired by an art piece I stumbled across on tumblr. To view the piece, follow the link in my profile. And as always, thanks for reading!
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimers: I do not own Inception or the art piece which inspired this fic.
Arthur stares up at the darkened sky, letting intermittent raindrops hit his face. The rain from early that afternoon had not let up and with a sigh he trudges on through the cold, puddle-riddled street. He tries his best to remain under acrylic awnings and assorted ledges in an attempt to keep dry, but these attempts prove futile when a car speeds around a corner and sweeps up a torrent of water that soaks him to the bone. Shaking himself off as best as he can, he wearily continues on towards home.
Home. How had he gotten so far away from that safe haven? Home is warm and dry, where his spot on the comfy couch waits. Home is where Ariadne will be waiting to welcome him with a kiss and a hug.
That is if she isn't worried out of her mind and frantically looking for him.
Ever since the car accident, Arthur rarely ventured outside. Though he was lucky and only suffered a limp in one leg—it could have been a lot worse—he had become more wary of the world beyond the little home he shared with Ariadne.
Although his fear was unspoken, she seemed to understand his preference for the comfort and solitude of their home. In fact, on rainy days like this it wasn't uncommon for Ariadne to skip class and stay in to keep him company. Sometimes they would lounge on the couch and watch the rain hit the window pane. Other times they'd lay out in front of the fireplace, he in Ariadne's embrace while she softly read out loud from her favorite novel. It was one of his favorite things to do and she knew how much he loved the sound of her voice. Oftentimes it took no more than her dulcet tones and a well-placed hand rubbing him in just the right spot to make him fall off into the honeyed abyss of sleep.
Today proved not to be one of those days. Instead of staying home and keeping dry, Ariadne left the apartment in a mad rush of color, armed with her bright red scarf, an armful of books, and her oversized umbrella. In her haste she forgot to fully close the door behind her. Normally, Arthur would have complained that she left at all, but curiosity got the best of him and for the first time in a long time he decided to brave the cold and rain by himself.
He's paying for that curiosity now as the rain starts to fall in earnest once again. The puddles in the street start to swell and all around him those caught unaware race to the same awnings he'd been maneuvering under. Arthur continues his journey home mostly unnoticed by those around him. He has always been good at being unobserved, prides himself on his stealth, in fact, but he's quickly deciding—after noticing that he's starting to resemble a drowned rat—that perhaps a little help may be in order.
The wave of water that suddenly hits him isn't what he had in mind. In a flash, another speeding vehicle sprays him from head to toe. In a fit of annoyance he chases after the offending car, but his limp holds him back and all he can do is watch its taillights turn the corner. Resigned to his misfortune, Arthur roots himself in the middle of the street. He's cold, wet, miserable, and wishing he never left the warmth of the apartment.
Just as he's almost given up all hope of getting dry, out of nowhere a man with a large black umbrella appears before him. He kindly holds the umbrella out so that it covers him as well, even though the man can clearly see that he is drenched. For several moments they say nothing but stare at one another in curiosity. Arthur notices he is tall, towering over him even as he leans down to ask him something. Not only does the stranger speak in a tongue that Arthur does not understand, he gestures for him to move away from the middle of the street.
Thinking his luck short lived, Arthur starts to walk away only to find the man following him with the umbrella still covering both of them from the worst of the rain. Perplexed, Arthur steps onto the sidewalk and looks up at the man. He speaks to him in that strange language again while making the same gesture, one that encourages Arthur to continue moving along. Wary, Arthur takes a few steps, stops and turns to the see he's still being followed by the umbrella wielding fellow who gives him a little laugh while still speaking in that unknown language. When Arthur takes a few more cautious steps, he finds the stranger keeping pace behind him.
They continue on that way towards home, Arthur's untrusting nature forcing him to stop every so often to check on the stranger, while the stranger's kindness continues to keep the worst of the downpour off the both of them. Every time he does stop to glance at the man, the man merely smiles, as if he knows Arthur doesn't fully trust him but is loathed to say anything for fear of losing the protection of his umbrella. Eventually the odd pair makes it down two blocks without incident.
It's then that Arthur recognizes he's almost home and quickens his steps. It makes his limp even more noticeable, but he doesn't care. Behind him, the stranger's steps splash in the puddles of the sidewalk, keeping pace.
"Arthur! Tu es la!" *
Arthur sees an umbrella-less figure round the corner of a building, dark brown hair and red scarf clinging to her small figure.
"Je t'es chercher partout ! Viens ici" **
Despite his handicapped leg, Arthur trots over to Ariadne's waiting embrace. Once securely in her arms, he nuzzles her neck and expresses to her how much he missed her.
"J'étais très inquiète."*** Her words are an admonishment but they're softened by her gentle touch. Arthur snuggles into her even more.
"Je, uh…l'ai trouvé…um, dans la rue…" The stranger struggles with his words, words that sound familiar to Arthur, as he points to him, "il, um…semblait…misérable." ****
Arthur is surprised when Ariadne laughs and looks up from fussing over him to address the stranger in the same foreign language he used earlier.
The man smiles wide, showing off neat rows of teeth. Ariadne responds with a small smile of her own. The man moves in closer to shield all three of them with his large umbrella as he and Ariadne continue to speak in that language that Arthur can't understand.
His name spoken by the man's lips and a sudden shared laugh has Arthur glancing back and forth between the two. Arthur is not quite sure what's going on, but the odd sensation he senses passing between the stranger and Ariadne as they smile and stare at the other is disconcerting.
A few months later
The steady fall of rain, the crackle of the fire, and the contented sighs from the two lovers on the sofa fill the open space of Ariadne's apartment.
Ariadne curls into Arthur's side as he pulls a blanket up over their sated bodies.
Meeeooorrw!
Both heads turn to the source of the drowsy, displeased, and now displaced, cat.
"Sorry about that little guy," Arthur apologizes to the recently napping feline. "You've had her all to yourself these last few days." He hugs Ariadne closer to his side. "It's my turn."
Ariadne leans over to watch the gray and black American shorthair haughtily limp to a discarded pair of pants on the floor before making himself comfortable on top of them. "I think he's upset we're taking up his favorite spot on the sofa," she sighs as Arthur's fingers gently trail along her hip.
She chuckles when Arthur curses under his breath after noticing the cat's new napping spot—his gray wool trousers. "I still think he's jealous that there's another Arthur in your life, after being the only one for so long."
Both watch as Arthur the cat stares at the couple for a few unblinking seconds before resting his head down on top of human Arthur's pants. Feline Arthur continues on with his nap.
"Neither of my Arthurs have anything to be jealous about," Ariadne responds, leaning up to place a kiss on Arthur's lips. There's room in my life for both of you."
Author's Note: Updated 11/10/13-Thank you so much to reviewer Julye who corrected my French. I appreciate that so much!
* "Arthur! There you are!"
** "I was looking for you! Come here."
*** "I was very worried."
**** "I, uh...um...I found him in the street...he, um...seemed miserable."