this is borderline 500 Days of Summer. xD very similar, in my opinion. just try to remember that Joe is Arthur, not Tom, and his girl is Ariadne, not Summer. please let me know if you spot any mistakes! I do hope they aren't too OOC, I had a bit of trouble with that.

Italics are a flashback.

Disclaimer: if I owned Inception, this scene would have been in the movie. at the end. ^_^

It was the first time she had ever seen him wear something so casual. Something that wasn't his usual three-piece suit and overcoat. He looked nice, she thought, he really ought to dress down more often. This relaxed, casual look really suited him well.

He was wearing a plain, light blue, collared shirt and nice pants. He had a jacket slung over his shoulder, though there wouldn't be a need for it in the warm, sunny weather. No fancy tie, no vest, no overcoat...just plain and simple. When they had first met, Ariadne couldn't imagine him ever looking anything other than completely professional-yet here he was, proving her wrong. She liked it when he proved her wrong, she discovered more about him that way.

They were laying in a park, on a blanket (Ariadne knew Arthur would be horrified if he got grass stains all over his clothes), staring up at the clouds. They weren't talking much, but Ariadne was okay with that. She liked the silence, it allowed her to ponder her relationship with Arthur.

They had so much in common, it amazed her. She had never met someone that she could be so comfortable around, someone with whom she could so easily be herself. He was almost like a brother to her...a handsome, romantic, sweet, caring brother...who had kissed her. She shook the thought from her head. That was sick, they were dating, after all. And yet, people always seemed surprised when they found that out.

It was also really awkward.

Ariadne couldn't blame them though, her and Arthur did look a lot alike, so it wasn't really that surprising-just annoying-when people thought they were related. They both had chocolate brown eyes, fair skin, and dark, wavy hair (although you wouldn't know it by looking at him, since his hair was always gelled down). They had even occasionally worn clothes of the same color. She liked it when they matched, they looked good together, she thought. A cute couple.

And not siblings. Couldn't people see that they were clearly more than that, when they walked down the street holding hands? And she wasn't that much younger than him, either...

Ariadne remembered back to the first time that this mistake had happened...

"I'm hungryyy." Ariadne moaned as she rolled over on her back. The sun shined brightly in her eyes. Her head lolled to the side and she groaned again. "Bring me food!" she demanded sticking her hand straight up and poking Arthur in the chest. Arthur just grinned down at her, amused.

"Hungry?"

"Yeeess!" she groaned again. "And I demand food!" She pounded her fist on the ground, trying to sound authoritative.

"My my, so demanding." Arthur chuckled, running a hand through her curls. "That's adorable."

"Uuugh!" Ariadne rolled over again so that she way laying on her stomach, and her voice was slightly muffled by the blanket they were sitting on. Arthur laughed, she was too cute.

"Alright Ari, where do you wanna go?" He just looked down at her and continued to run his fingers through her hair; it was becoming somewhat of a bad habit for him.

"I dunno," came the muffled response. She lifted her head up so that all he could see was her eyes.

"Well then." He said it as though it settled the matter.

"Arthurrr." she raised her head further, only to send an adorable pout his way.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" Arthur asked her. He would do anything for Ariadne, and she knew that-

"Will you carry me around to look at places?" She gave him puppy-dog eyes, something he couldn't resist.

-though he sometimes had the feeling that she took advantage of that trait of his. He sighed.

"Please?"

Arthur smirked. Only for her. She did something to him...ever since the first job, he'd been feeling different. Light, uplifted, brighter, happier...and something he couldn't quite place. But he had no more time to wonder, at the moment, because Ariadne was dragging herself over to him. She placed her head on his leg and gazed up at him.

"Alright, Ari." she gave him a big smile. "But only for you."

With that, he took her hand and pulled her up, and the stood up together. Arthur looked around at the many shops as he stretched.

"So, where do you wanna-" he was cut off by a strange weight thrown suddenly onto his back. Ariadne's arms were quickly moving around his shoulders and her whole body was tightening around his.

Arthur stumbled slightly before regaining his posture. "Where did that come from?" He asked, laughing.

"Giddy-up!" she cheered.

The two of them were laughing for quite a while before Arthur choked out, "You're ridiculous."

"Oh, shush!" she slapped a hand playfully into his chest. "Now, onward march!" She thrust her hand upward, like a soldier commanding his army.

"Where to, milady?" His face became mock-serious, and he turned his head slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Aww, you're so cute when you're formal." Ariadne giggled, and she planted a small a kiss on his cheek.

Arthur just let out a small chuckle and waited for an answer. Ariadne cleared her throat before announcing:

"That way, good sir!"

The two of them made their way up and down the streets, Arthur occasionally asking if she wanted to stop. But as Ariadne kept turning down his offers, Arthur began to get a sneaking suspicion that she hadn't really been hungry at all.

After 20 minutes of wandering, Ariadne finally pointed to a coffee shop.

"There will do, sir." She grinned, continuing to address him in their humorously formal manner.

Arthur sighed with relief, he would be glad for some rest. He made his way over to the shop, but stopped just outside the door.

"Would you like to walk in on your own, or would you prefer to be carried?" he teased her.

"Oh, carried, please." she answered immediately.

"As you wish, madam." He smiled and then bent down slightly awkwardly to open the door. Ariadne giggled, clinging to him tightly for fear of falling off.

After a minute's struggle, when they were safely inside, Arthur turned his head to her again.

"Do you want to get off now, or would you like to order your coffee like this, too?"

Ariadne laughed out loud, and resisted the temptation to accept his offer. "I think I'm good." she said, and she slipped off his back. She stumbled ever-so slightly, and Arthur caught her arm, securing her balance.

"Are you alright, mademoiselle?" he raised an eyebrow at her, and gave her a half-smile. Ariadne's breath caught in her throat, he was so incredibly sexy when he pretended to be formal...and French...and the way he looked at her...she felt her face getting hot.

"Splendid, thank you." she regained her composure and gave him a little curtsy. "And, thank you for the ride."

"You are most welcome." Arthur bowed and gave her hand a light kiss. "Now, what would you like to order?" he smiled and led her over to the counter.

After ordering, they chose a table next to the window and waited for their drinks to be ready. They were so immersed in each other, that Ariadne almost didn't notice the group of girls that had entered the shop, showing obvious interest in Arthur. But 5 minutes later, when they had chosen a table directly behind Ariadne (a rather good view of Arthur, she assumed), Ariadne found it much harder to ignore them.

"Hey Arthur," she asked, taking a sip of her caramel frappuccino, "do you mind if we move? Like, over there?" she looked towards a table on the other end of the little shop.

Arthur chuckled. "Um, okay." He got up, slinging his jacket over his shoulder; he pushed in his chair, and walked over. Ariadne quickly followed suit.

Their efforts weren't of much use, however, as the girls continued to stare at Arthur, giggling and whispering with their heads together. Ariadne ignored them. Whether Arthur had noticed them or not, she couldn't tell, but it didn't matter as he only continued to focus on her.

They continued to talk and laugh; they might have been planning to spend the whole day in the shop, they had no other plans, after all. And even if they did, Arthur would have felt no desire to leave. He was having too much fun.

Fun. Rarely a word that appeared in Arthur's vocabulary. But...there was simply no other way to put it. He was smiling, he was laughing, he was truly enjoying himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so calm and at peace, definitely not before Ariadne had shown up. Some of the best times he could remember had been with her...or maybe it hadn't been the times that were so good, but rather the fact that Ariadne had been there.

Arthur smiled at this thought and watched Ariadne as she talked. She was so cute, the way she smiled, the way she laughed, the way she got all excited about something. He liked how happy she was when she was with him, and he liked the way that she could get him to do anything for her, just by looking at him...

"Excuse me."

He broke away from his thoughts and looked up. A tall, blonde girl from the table across the room was standing in front of him, looking very confident and self-assured.

"Yes?" Arthur was slightly irritated at her for interrupting his thoughts.

"Would you like to come sit with us?"

Arthur looked back at her table, where an extra chair had been pulled up, even though there was no room. The girl's friends were all looking at him expectantly.

"Sorry, no." Arthur went back to his drink before realizing that it was empty. He got up to throw it away, but he had not been expecting the girl to follow him.

"Can I help you?" he turned to face her, not bothering to keep the annoyance from his voice.

"Look, why don't you join us? My friends and I would love your company." She ran a finger down his chest.

"I said, no thank you." Arthur pushed her hand away and made his way back to Ariadne. He moved behind her chair and twirled a finger in her hair playfully, just to hear her giggle and bat his hand away. He couldn't help but chuckle at that, he loved her laugh.

"Omigod, look," the girl said loudly and exasperatedly from the spot where had left her at the trashcan. "Why don't just find a babysitter for your little friend there, and come have a drink with us. I hardly think she's legal." The girl laughed cruelly as she walked over to them. "Come on, you don't really want to hang out with her all day, do you?" she smirked back at her friends who giggled obnoxiously.

Arthur didn't know what to say. All he could do was stare at her indignantly.

The other girls had begun to make their over.

"So, what's she, like, your sister?" an overly made-up redhead asked. Her companions giggled quite loudly in response. They seemed to do quite a bit of giggling, Arthur noticed.

"Look, I'm flattered, but we were having a nice time." Arthur started-

"Yes, so why don't you all just go away?" Ariadne cut in. "Please." she added. She went to the counter to get a refill of her drink.

When she looked back at the table, she saw that the girls had moved-if possible-even closer to Arthur. One of them looked close to falling into his lap. Arthur didn't look the least bit uncomfortable, but he didn't look the least bit interested either.

Ariadne was laughing quietly. Could these girls not be persuaded? She heard another remark referring to her as his sister. She thought that was quite ridiculous, did they really look that much alike? Arthur's voice carried over to her: "yeah, we're really close." Close, indeed. Ariadne had a little shock for them. Forgetting all about her coffee, she walked swiftly back to the table.

Pushing her way through the group, she straddled Arthur's lap. Arthur could barely get a sound of astonishment out before her lips covered his own. She felt his breath hitch, and for a moment, he didn't move.

Her hands went to his neck, and she began to move her lips against his. Arthur let out a low groan and took action. His arms wrapped around her waist, pushing their bodies closer. Her long hair fell over his face, tickling his cheeks and neck. Ariadne could feel her face getting hot and her breathing getting heavy; her hands moved up to Arthur's slicked back hair.

Ariadne lost all comprehensive thought as she felt Arthur's hands slide down her body to grip her thighs tightly; in response, she moaned into his mouth, and slid her tongue over his lips.

Arthur couldn't control himself any longer. Hoisting her up slightly, he pressed her back into the edge of the table, perhaps a bit too hard, for it scooted loudly across the floor, but neither of them noticed. Ariadne squirmed when she felt the tips of Arthur's fingers move ever so-slightly up her shirt...

"AHEM!"

They jerked apart. The owner of the coffee shop was standing in front of them, hands on his hips, and an annoyed-yet slightly amused-look on his face.

"Take it outside, lovebirds." he said sternly. "I don't want any of that in here. It's distracting to the other customers." He took a rag out of his apron and began to wipe down the table. "And this table is not here for that purpose."

Ariadne blushed and pulled her shirt down, while Arthur cleared his throat unnecessarily. The two of them quickly hurried out of the shop. Once outside, they burst out laughing.

"What was all that about, Ari?"

Ariadne shrugged. "I just thought it would be funny since they thought I was your sister."

Arthur laughed and grabbed her hand. "You have a sick mind." She giggled at this remark as he pulled her down the sidewalk.

"Well I had to do something! Those girls wouldn't leave you alone."

"And I am so lucky to have a girlfriend that cares enough to kiss me in a coffee shop and get us kicked out, just to get rid of some annoying girls." Ariadne could tell he was just teasing her, but she grinned at him anyway.

"It's true," she said. "You're lucky to have a girlfriend that will fight for her man."

Arthur smirked at her, and brought his arm around her shoulders, still clutching her hand. "I really am." Ariadne leaned her head on his shoulder.

They continued to walk up and down the streets, window-shopping, and observing random passerby. They stopped in front of a particular store, and Ariadne commented on the total inaccuracy of the faceless, genderless, and occasionally limbless mannequins.

"Well, well, look who it is." Arthur said coolly, looking at the door. Ariadne looked over and the four girls from the shop.

"You're not going to jump me again right here, are you?" Arthur asked, raising his eyebrow at her.

"Why, would that bother you?" she responded, a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Not at all." He looked in her eyes with such intensity, it sent shivers down her spine. "But I'd hate to...distract all the drivers on the road."

"That's too bad..." Ariadne gave him a small, extremely sexy smile. Arthur forced himself to look away. There would be time for that later.

They walked by the girls; Arthur just raised his eyebrow at them, and Ariadne sent them a wink. They looked disgusted, but merely continued on their way.

"Well, good going Ari, you've scarred them for life."

She scoffed. "Well, they should know better than to try to steal you from me."

The sides of Arthur's mouth twitched slightly, like that would ever happen.

When they had walked around a couple of blocks, they found themselves back at the park. Ariadne squeezed Arthur's hand and moved her head in a small flick toward a large tree as if to say 'let's go'. Arthur gave her a small nod and they meandered slowly to the tree.

Ariadne dropped his hand, kicked off her flip-flops, and walked to the tree lightly, with a little bounce in her step. Upon reaching her destination, she flopped down on the grass. When she looked up at Arthur, he was still standing where she had left him, watching her with an adorable smile on his face.

"Gonna join me, Arthur?" He only continued to stare at her, out of admiration of her free-spirit, and amusement at her inner-child. Amazement at the fact that the more time they spent together, the more she brought out those qualities in him as well. Happiness at how they were so opposite, yet so perfect for each other.

Ariadne must have taken his silence the wrong way, for she went on to say, "come on, a couple little grass stains won't kill you."

Arthur let out a little huff of laughter and went over to her. Yes, she was the only one he'd be willing to risk some grass stains for. She was the only one who brought out this other side of him, a side that no one else had ever seen before. She was the only one he felt he could truly be himself around, without worrying about judgment or rejection. She was the only one who could make him feel as as carefree and peaceful as he did right now. The only one who could take his mind off of all his troubles, paranoia, and anal-retentiveness. He didn't feel the need to be such a perfectionist when he was around her either.

He sat down next to her and as she moved her head onto his chest, he felt his heart flutter. He slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

Right now, the two of them, under the tree, the sun's bright rays shining through the cracks of the leaves, falling ever-so delicately onto them...the moment couldn't get any more perfect.

Arthur let his head fall back to gently brush against the bark of the tree-trunk, and he closed his eyes. He felt a soft breeze go by, and a couple of loose strands of Ariadne's hair fluttered onto the bare skin of his neck. He breathed in. A floral scent...something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it suited her well.

His mind began to wander...

He loved her hair. It's scent. It's color. The way the sun brought out it's highlights. The way it looked amazing, with no effort at all.

He loved her style. He loved how she had the ability to look totally adult and glamorous at one time, and young and innocent the next. The way her scarves always seemed to match perfectly. The way she looked good in any color.

He loved her eyes. A soft, chocolate brown. Much like his own. The way he could get lost in them. The way they held her secrets, as though a window to her true self.

He loved her skin. So smooth and amazingly soft, the feel of hers against his sent shivers down his spine. He loved how it was the perfect complexion, pale, but enough so that it contrasted perfectly with her dark hair and eyes. He loved her rosy cheeks. He loved the way she always looked beautiful, with or without makeup.

He loved how peaceful she looked when she slept.

He loved her smile, and how it always seemed to make him smile, too. He loved her laugh, and the way it seemed to fill up a room. He loved how her voice was infectious, as though whenever he heard it, he would have no greater pleasure than listening to her talk all day long.

He loved how ticklish she was.

He loved the way she always stood up for what was right, even if she stood alone. He admired her determination, the fighter in her. He loved that she loved him, and that she would fight for him, even if no one else would...

He loved how unpredictable she was, a complete opposite of him. He loved her wit, her charm, her intellect, her wisdom, her subtle way of flirting with him, the way she could be cute and sexy, her independence, and the way she didn't care what other people thought. He loved the way she was so purely, genuinely herself, with all her perfections and imperfections that just made her even more amazing...

Arthur's eyes shot open.

He suddenly realized what that undefinable feeling was, the one he couldn't figure out before. As he turned to look at her, he rapidly quickening heartbeat confirmed it.

He loved her.

Why he hadn't figured this out before, he had no idea. But he had never been in love. How could he even be sure that it was real?

She moved slightly in her sleep, wrapping her arm around his torso gently. This time, Arthur felt butterflies in his stomach, particularly in the spot where her hand had just passed over.

He had no doubt. He didn't need his totem to prove this was real...though it couldn't hurt. He took out his die and tossed it. Three.

Reality.

Ariadne stirred. She must have felt him moving. She let out a soft breath and looked up at him with a smile.

"Good afternoon."

Arthur smiled. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"Mhmm." she snuggled closer to him. "How 'bout you?"

He scoffed. "Not really." he said. "I couldn't fall asleep."

"Why not?" She supported herself on her elbows and looked at him curiously.

"I had a lot on mind." He wouldn't look at her, he just continued to stare straight ahead. She knew it was probably nothing, and that she shouldn't be worried, but she didn't like it when he kept things from her.

"What kind of things?" she pried.

Arthur just looked at her. He said nothing, and the two of them just sat there in silence. Ariadne was afraid to break it, so she just continued to wait.

"Come here." he said eventually. He sat up, and spread his legs out, motioning for her to come sit between them. She obliged and once there, he wrapped his arms around her. She waited.

"You sure you want to know what I was thinking about?" he asked her softly.

"Yes." she kept her voice steady, and tried not to sound nervous or hesitant.

Arthur took a deep breath. This was it, he was going to tell her. He had no plan-unusual for him-but it was now or never.

"I was thinking about you."

Ariadne let out a relieved breath. Not quite what she was expecting, but not bad either. "What were you thinking about me?" she asked him, leaning back so that her back was against his chest.

"Well," he sighed. "I was thinking about your eyes. Your smile. Your hair." She couldn't help but giggle at that one. "And your adorable laugh." he continued, giving her a smile of adoration.

"Go on," she said when he didn't continue.

"I was thinking about your spontaneity, your independence, your free-spirit, your style, your determination...just how amazing you are..."

"Keep going!" She laughed; she wanted to hear more.

Arthur was silent, he was beginning to get frustrated with himself. What was his problem, why couldn't just get to the point, he had never been this nervous about anything! (aside from, perhaps, the point during the Fischer job when Saito had gotten shot in the chest).

Ariadne must have noticed his discomfort because she sat up and turned to face him.

"Arthur, what's wrong?"

Arthur sighed and pressed a hand to his face in frustration. "I could keep going, Ariadne, but...it's just...it's not what I'm really trying to say."

"So...what are you trying to say?" Ariadne was confused, and a little nervous at what could have gotten Arthur so worked up all of a sudden.

After a moment's deep breathing, Arthur said, "Okay Ari, I have no idea of how this is normally done, so I'm just going to come out and say it, okay?"

She nodded.

"Okay." he took a deep breath. "Ari...I-" he swallowed nervously. "-loveyou."

Her breath hitched. Her heart swelled. In a moment of spontaneity, she reached forward and grabbed his hand.

"Say it again."

Arthur looked up at her, his cheeks were tinged with pink, but he focused his eyes on hers. "I love you, Ariadne." And all of a sudden, he found he couldn't stop. "I love everything about you. You mean so much to me, Ari, and I wish that I could make you understand that. Ever since you came into my life, I've felt different. You've changed me, and I can't thank you enough, I just...can't express how much this means to me, and everything you've done for me, and I just-"

"Arthur." she didn't say it with any force in her voice, but rather, tenderness and love. Arthur went quiet. She took his face in her hands.

"I love you, too."

They sat in silence, staring into each others eyes, until-

"Quick, gimme a kiss." she whispered.

And with that, the two of them moved in for a kiss. It was simple, tender, and sweet, much like the one they had shared during the dream, only longer. Their lips stayed together, unmoving; neither of them seemed to want to break it, but they didn't seem to want to take it forward either. They just sat, in their simple peck of a kiss, until-

Ariadne broke away. She looked into his eyes, seeing nothing but pure love and joy there, and she smiled.

"Hey." Ariadne was brought from her memory as Arthur nudged her slightly.

"Hmm?"

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

She looked at him sweetly. "The first time you told me you loved me."

Arthur smiled. "And what do you remember about that?"

"Well, I remember that we were in this very spot when it happened," she rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows to look down at him.

"Exactly one year ago." He smiled with her at the memory.

"I also remember going to that coffee shop and freaking out those girls!" She giggled. "And...I remember all the things you told me that you loved about me." she blushed at remembering that, it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever told her.

"And probably the most important thing I remember, is that it was one of the happiest days of my life." Ariadne closed her eyes, replaying Arthur's "I love you" over and over again in her head.

When she opened her eyes again, she burst out laughing. Arthur was giving a look of amusement, curiousness, and love.

"What?" she laughed.

"You're cute." he smirked, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

She giggled. "Say it again?" she asked.

"I've got something better." Arthur said in a low voice, leaning closer to her.

"Hmm, and what's that?"

He said nothing, but leaned in and gave her a kiss.

the fluff police have arrested me..._

let me know what you think! :D

~ByTheBeautifulSea