A.N: After giving it some thought, I decided that "it was 4:03 in a world asleep" really needed a second Ludo inspired Inception fic to keep it company. So on my Archive of Our Own account, I created a series (their love is just so Ludo) where I can write multiple stories that are inspired by all of my favorite Ludo songs! Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inception or Ludo. If I did I'd probably be a happier person. I don't own the song "Good Will Hunting By Myself", the music video of the same name, or the movie "Good Will Hunting".
i'm happy in my empty bed
"Eames."
All Arthur got in response was a loud sniffle. He rolled his eyes and looked at how miserable Eames was; sitting on his couch, wrapped up in a comforter, watching Good Will Hunting by himself.
Though Arthur was seated on the same couch, he wasn't willing to say that he was actively watching the movie. Personally, Arthur could take or leave Mat Damon, but ever since his big, big breakup, Eames had become fixated.
"You need to get over her." Arthur was trying to be comforting, but not really hitting the mark. He should have sounded at least a little bit sorry for the other man's failed relationship, but he couldn't…or he could rephrase it as 'he felt bad for Eames's pain but knew he was better off without his now ex-girlfriend'. He had hated Eames's girlfriend and had harbored a super secret attraction to the forger for several years. His attraction and fascination with the man predated the arrival of Samantha, so it wasn't some stupid jealousy thing. Now was not the time to say anything about that- Arthur didn't want to be Eames's rebound relationship, he wanted them to at least have some sort of chance together that wasn't affected by Eames's hurt feelings and low self-esteem after Samantha.
Samantha had been a terrible girlfriend. She was rude and mean, always making comments about Eames's admittedly poor taste in clothes or talking about how hot other guys were. Arthur had watched her beg Eames for gas money and treat him like trash.
But Eames hadn't gotten to the point where he could see any of this. Eames was trying to recover from it, but couldn't help but cling to his few good memories of the woman and their short relationship. It had been a few days and Eames had made some small forms of progress. Like, he had taken to washing his car and writing in a diary.
It hadn't hit him yet. He was a free man. He could do whatever he wanted- he could shop for his clothes without listening to her complaints, he could hang out with his friends, he could finally stop watching Good Will Hunting.
Eames wasn't ready yet. He needed some time to get his head straight. Arthur was happy that they didn't have a current dreamshare job to stand as an obstacle to Eames getting back to normal. Arthur was starting to miss his friend and coworker- he would never ever say that he missed his flirting, or his endearments, or the comfortable platonic relationship they had together.
As long as they had a break from work, Arthur was willing to help Eames make the transition.
"I know you haven't called me in a week or two," Eames was saying softly, failing at being secretive while calling Samantha in the grocery store.
He hadn't been able to get a hold of her anyways. He only got her voicemail. On some level he knew that he was being terribly pathetic as he hid behind a display of boxed cereal. He didn't want Arthur to see him making another failed call to Samantha. The point man usually got this odd look on his face; it was kind of hurt and a little exasperated.
Moving on was really hard. He had promised Arthur that he would stop watching the movie. He had promised that he was going to limit himself to washing his car only once a week, rather than every day. He had also promised to stop calling Samantha; it's just that she had left him that message after the breakup. That she hoped that they could still be friends; that they'd talk! Eames was still waiting for that to happen, but had to get over it.
It was never going to happen.
It was for the best that Arthur had found him before he could say something stupid. He was going to say something that would absolve her of any guilt for not calling and remind her that it was hard for him too.
When he spotted Arthur pushing his shopping cart, having successfully found the type of soft drink Eames had asked him to find, Eames ended the call and shoved the cell phone back into his pocket. That look was back on the point man's face.
Eames had to stop this- it wasn't just pathetic for him but hurtful to Arthur, who had been more than helpful during these tough times. Sitting with Eames as he watched the movie, letting him cry into his shoulder, and forcing him to try and get back to a normal routine and get on with his life.
"Problem?"
Eames quickly shook his head. "Wrong number!"
"You have loads of time now," Yusuf was saying, his voice laced with static over the phone. "You don't have any jobs lined up and have plenty of money from the inception- why don't you go out and paint the town red?"
"What?"
"You know, sow your wild oats? Go nuts!"
Eames slipped further down on his couch, feeling miserable at the thought of having fun or doing anything that sounded like starting another relationship.
"The party's not dead," Yusuf was saying, trying to encourage Eames after having heard Arthur's status reports on the forger; according to the point man, Eames was better but still morose. "You can come back from this, Eames!"
After a few beats of silence, Yusuf came up with a better idea involving an event at the park.
Eames made a face and frowned. "But why is the park full of ninjas and cowboys?"
Yusuf scoffed and refused to elaborate. "Let's bring Arthur- he's practically a ninja already. With his help we could avoid all sorts of dangers."
"Like what?"
"Last year, some poor fool got a drumstick stuck in his eye," Yusuf said slowly, as if it was the most wonderful news ever.
Eames frowned to himself and decided against it. He just wasn't ready for ninja and cowboy warfare.
"Pass," Eames muttered before ending the call.
Weeks passed and Arthur remained a familiar and comforting presence. Eames's life began to even out- he wasn't as sad, he smiled more, and he could even joke about it. Only a little bit, but it was better than before.
They weren't expecting to run into Samantha on a public street. They nearly crashed into the woman.
She was a pretty girl. Soft lips, dark eyes, and thick blonde hair. She happened to be a little short, but Eames was always quick to mention that she was the perfect height for him! That Samantha fit so neatly into his arms when he wrapped his arms around her, he could just rest his chin on the top of her head and smell her shampoo. No awkward bending, no wrenching the neck, and no accidentally bumping noses.
He got a little nostalgic despite himself. Thankfully Arthur was there and whispered to him.
"Remember, Eames. Be strong."
He nodded, ready to face her and get this over with.
"Eames!" She said giving him a sunny smile like she hadn't broken his heart a few weeks ago. "It's been forever, how are you?"
"Oh, I'm happy…" Eames bit his tongue and remembered the time he would have added something about crying in the shower or wishing he was dead. Somehow, his hand had found Arthur's. The point man must have had some form of telepathy; he had to have sensed that errant thought. Arthur squeezed his hand once, like he was reminding Eames to tread carefully but admiring his control. It gave Eames the courage to say something that he needed to finally get off of his chest.
"Yes, I'm doing fine now. I've had some time to get over how you broke up with me on my birthday."
She stared at him, almost like she couldn't understand how this would have hurt him.
"On my birthday! You couldn't wait until the day after my birthday to say that we were never meant to be- you had to do it after I sold one hundred and forty-seven CutCo knives to afford that thing from the Body Shop?"
Arthur hid his smile with his free hand; he had no idea how selling CutCo knives had become Eames's fake day job, but he had listened to Eames describing the effort it took to calculate the amount of money he would have received per CutCo knife in order to afford Samantha's new Jojoba Loofah Milktowel (or something like that.)
"I'm glad we broke up!" Eames was saying. "I can watch that movie by myself. I can go buy my own clothes. And I can hang out with my friends- and by the way, stop bothering Yusuf!"
Samantha took a stumbling step back as Eames growled at her. "Stop trying to sleep with my friends! Oh, and you know what else?"
The woman froze in place, not really aware of the number of people pausing to stare at them.
Eames let her have it.
They were walking homewards, but Eames wasn't sure how they had gotten from Point A to Point B. He had blacked out, maybe. He was listening to Arthur patiently fill in the blanks.
"…and then you said stuff about her car, and then some more stuff about her mother, and something I'd rather not repeat about her sister."
Eames came back to himself at that moment.
"She doesn't have one."
"Huh," Arthur said, considering it and shrugging it off. "You got a little carried away, then. Were you really that upset about missing the Cowboy Ninja thing at the park?"
Eames nodded. "Yusuf said that somebody got a drumstick stuck in their eye last time. This time, a guy dressed as a cowboy was bludgeoned with his own stick horse."
Arthur said nothing. Eames took a deep breath and tried to look on the bright side.
"For a first meeting after a breakup, I think it went rather well. No one cried."
They continued walking.
"I think my favorite part had to be when you said she looked fat in those jeans."
Eames nodded, smiling a little. "She did. But I was still trying to be nice back then."
He pointed out an ice cream stand, recalling how long it had been since he had ice cream. Milkshakes had been something he shared with Samantha- but he didn't want one right now.
"Want an ice cream cone, darling?"
Arthur actually stopped walking once he heard the endearment. It was happening slowly, so so slowly, but maybe soon Eames would be back to normal. That rant he aimed at Samantha had to have been a little cathartic.
Hearing a darling gave Arthur hope for the future. He still wasn't willing to be anyone's rebound, especially not Eames's. But he was willing to wait for later when the time was right. The darling was just a good sign.
Arthur smiled at Eames and nodded quickly.
Together, they walked to the ice cream stand, chatting comfortably about Yusuf's experience at the park.