Arthur awoke with a start. It felt like a kick but he knew it wasn't one. This wasn't the warehouse. He was in a bed, not one of the chairs, and he certainly wasn't attached to the machine. He wanted to believe that last part, but he couldn't stop rubbing his arms.
For the fourth night in a row, she was showing up in his dreams. He leaned forward and put the palms of his hands against each eye. He rubbed them until the white spots of light showed up. When he pulled his hands away and the light faded, he could have sworn she was standing at the foot of the bed.
He pulled off the sheet and climbed out of the bed. The cloth was beginning to feel suffocating. He wasn't afraid of sleep, he was afraid of her.
"She's only a projection," he said to himself.
Deep down, Arthur knew the Ariadne he kept seeing every night while he slept wasn't real. He just wanted her to be real. The dreams were becoming increasingly vivid as each night passed. Every day he saw her and he would notice something new about her. The way she walked, how her hips would sway just a little. How she would stand and sit up straight with her shoulders tilted slightly forward. It always seemed like she was interested in what the other person had to say.
He entered the bathroom and turned on the faucet. The cool water poured out. He let it run before putting one of the plastic cups under it. He took a huge gulp then put it under the faucet for more. He didn't take another drink. Instead, he dropped the cup into the sink. He cupped both hands under the steady stream and let the water fill them. Then he splashed it onto his face.
He stared into his reflection. Dark circles were growing deeper under his eyes. He looked as tired as he felt. He turned off the faucet then gripped the edge of the counter like it was his last lifeline. His head hung down so that he could stare down at the edge of the sink and the line of his body. The water dripped off his hands and face onto the floor and his clothes. He suddenly picked up his head and brushed back the hair that was falling into his face.
He had to get a hold of himself.
Arthur left the bathroom and changed. He always felt more comfortable in a button down, vest and tie. He made the final adjustments to his tie before leaving the hotel room. The hallways suddenly felt large. The walls seemed to stretch on forever and the length of it seemed endless. With his hands deep in his pockets, he played with die. It was the one thing that kept his sanity these days.
Without thinking about it, he made his way to the warehouse. His feet led him there on instinct. Work would certainly get his mind off her. Unfortunately, when he stepped onto the main floor of the building, he could see a light on. It was over at her table.
"Oh no," he muttered.
There was no turning back now. She had spotted him. Ariadne was smiling at him over a cup of what he assumed was coffee. It had to have been 4:30 in the morning and she had never left for the night. She put the cup down and folded her arms on the table top. Leaning into them she asked, "What brings you back here so early?"
"I should be asking why you are still here," he replied. He couldn't help but laugh softly, the corner of his lip turned up in a small smile.
Ariadne shrugged, pushing herself back up, "There's no way I can sleep now. I just got so involved in this project that I couldn't stop."
He had made his way over to her table. He could see all the work she had done. Two and a half models lay out on the table with pieces and sketches framing the empty work space where she was to put it all together. To anyone else it would have looked like a mess. To both of them, it looked organized.
Arthur stayed a few feet from her. He was surveying her work. She watched him carefully; he could feel her eyes on him. It wasn't an intense stare but she was watching him. She was waiting for a response to something, either the question she asked before or the unspoken question of 'how is this?'.
He nodded a couple of times, too quickly to seem normal. Her eyes narrowed, he could feel that too. "Good," he said. He immediately turned on his heel to walk away. She grabbed onto his arm above the elbow. He froze then turned slightly to look at her over his shoulder.
"You never answered my first question," she said quietly, as if others were here listening.
He pulled his arm away from her, "Some trouble sleeping. That's all." It was the truth but it sounded lame coming out of his mouth. They were both displeased with the answer.
He sat in one of the chairs near the briefcase. Arthur was tempted to put himself under for some time but thought against it. If he projected her into the dream again and she joined him, there would be a lot of explaining to do when they woke up. The things they did while he slept were not something he wanted to speak of. He did want to know if he was right, though. He wanted to know if her skin was just as soft in real life as it was in his dreams.
He watched her go back to work. She rolled her shoulders twice as if working a knot out of them. She felt his heavy gaze on her back, just below the neck. He was intent on watching her and she didn't know why. She took another sip of coffee before trying to focus on work again. It just wasn't in her anymore.
Something washed over Arthur and he rose to his feet. He approached her carefully and quietly. He didn't want to raise any alarm with her. The question was nagging at him. He had to know.
Ariadne froze when she felt his hands on her shoulders. He began to work the muscles there with his hands. She tilted her head back a bit, eyes almost closed, and let out a soft moan. He was good with his hands. Her eyes snapped open. She leaned her head forward again trying to hide the small blush that was heating up her cheeks.
Arthur took note of her reaction. He froze with his hands still on her shoulders. He slid them down her arms and let them rest on her hips. He smiled into her neck. She smelled faintly of flowers and possibly cinnamon. It was hard to tell for sure but it was intoxicating. She leaned into him without thinking. Their bodies lined up perfectly. He rested his chin on her shoulder and gently kissed her pulse point. She tilted her head away from him, exposing more of it. He took it as the invitation that it was.
He kissed up to the end of her jaw, just below the ear. She sighed in pleasure. He nuzzled her neck, a big smile on his face. His hands were on her stomach now. He was wrapping her up and covering her with his body.
Footsteps echoed through the hall. Arthur and Ariadne froze before separating. He walked over to the chair he had occupied previously and she picked up the coffee and a pencil. Cobb entered the warehouse, morning light streaming in after him.
"Didn't expect to see you two here this early," he commented without a hint of suspicion.
Arthur shrugged and Ariadne said, "I never left."
Cobb headed for one of the smaller rooms to the side. He had a few things set up in there. Arthur wasn't thinking about his friend and pseudo boss. Instead, he pulled the die out of his pocket. He rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. In one quick motion, he hid it in the palm of his hand and cast it on top of the briefcase. It was a silent roll that showed five white dots.
He smiled. The dream is real, he thought.