Ariadne sighed, a brown curl falling in front of her dark eyes as she dipped her head low, blowing out a frustrated puff of air. She twirled her charcoal pencil around her fingers, her mind lost deeply in thought. She hardly noticed the mess that she called her apartment. Rough sketches were scattered all over her dining table. Scarves and cardigans lay sprawled on her couch like rags and there were old dishes piled up in the sink of her kitchen. She found it hard to concentrate nowadays, and almost always found herself in a sort of trance, thinking about things she couldn't forget with ease.

She watched as Arthur yanked her black luggage from the carousal with ease. He rolled it over to her, his face still emotionless. He was not showing any signs of letting his professionalism go, despite the fact that they were just moments from parting ways. She didn't know where she was going. She wasn't supposed to care.

"Well," he stated. He didn't look at her. All he seemed to be able to do was glance, darting his brooding eyes around the airport terminal. He always had his guards up. Never down. Never letting anyone in.

Ariadne ran a hand through her hair before gripping on her luggage tighter and tilted her head upwards to look at him.

"Where are you heading off to?" she asked, doing everything she could possibly do in order to keep her voice from escalating to a hopeful and nearly desperate tone. He shrugged, apparently thinking.

"I never really settle down," he said, voice monotone. "I reckon you're going back to Paris?" she nodded, feeling a pang of sadness. Arthur was mysterious. He was stubborn but she was drawn to him. She wanted to see him in t-shirt and khakis. She wanted to see what his hair looked like when it wasn't slicked back and she wanted to see a genuine grin - one that didn't come from a moment where their lives were in danger.

"I guess this is goodbye," even at this point, he didn't show any expression. It bothered her. It incessantly nagged at her mind. She told herself that she wasn't special to him. She wasn't any different from Cobb or Eames or Yusif or Saito.

"Goodbye," she said, feeling awkward. Ariadne wanted to lean in for a hug, but it would have been a bit uncalled for, seeing as how none of the other team members received one. Instead of leaning in and wrapping her arms around his strong shoulders like she wanted to, she pulled her luggage behind her and walked towards the exit.

It replayed over and over again in her mind – the kiss. It was like a broken record.

People passing by were staring. It felt like their eyes were boring holes into her skull.

"What's happening?" she questioned, panic rising in her voice.

"The subconscious is looking for the dreamer. Me." he said, in a matter-of-factly type of voice."Quick, give me a kiss." Ariadne leaned in, giving him a soft peck on the lips. At that moment, she felt a bolt of electricity jolt through her veins. Unexpected shivers scampered up her spine.

"They're still looking at us." she replied quietly, her eyes scanning the lobby and noticing that the projections were still staring.

"Yeah, it was worth a shot."

She felt colour rush to her cheeks just thinking about it. Ariadne shook it out of her head, trying to concentrate on her assignment. The page that sat in front of her was blank, empty and as clean as freshly fallen snow. The doorbell rang, and she tossed her charcoal pencil across the room. She might as well have, with all these damn distractions. She sighed, exasperated with the lack of progress and shoved the chair back to stand up. Opening the door, she didn't bother checking the peephole or requesting some sort of identification. What she saw next made her blood run cold. It was in a good way, though.

"Arthur?" she blinked, reaching into her pocket for her totem. She rubbed the side, feeling the groove and relaxed just the slightest bit, knowing she wasn't dreaming.

"Ariadne," he replied, most likely thinking he was being clever.

"W-what... What are you doing here?" she inquired, feeling slightly shell shocked.

"Not really the greeting I was looking for," she opened her mouth to say something, but Ariadne was still stunned. Arthur was standing in her doorway. His hair was slicked back, but some strands were coming loose. It made her smile. He wore a suit and his tie was slightly undone. He clutched a suitcase. She frowned.

"Oh... come in," she stammered, standing to the side so Arthur could enter. She suddenly felt self-conscious, in her t-shirt and sweatpants. She obviously wasn't expecting company, let alone Arthur. He looked out of place, with his prim, perfectly pressed outfit, in her messy apartment. She had to shove several magazines off her couch to allow any sort of room for seating. But Arthur didn't sit down. His stiff body stood, his eyes still on Ariadne as she guided herself past several objects in her living room – her canvases, clothes and smocks.

"What are you doing here?" she said, feeling a bit intruded. As giddy as she was that Arthur, in the flesh, had shown up to her apartment, she couldn't help but feel that it was a tad abrupt. A warning would have been nice.

"I've been travelling, and I happened to stop in Paris," he paused, expecting her to finish the phrase. But when she didn't and instead stared at him intently, he chuckled and continued. "Thought I'd stop by." Her cheeks burned, and she felt the blood rush to her face. He was just saying hello. Nothing else.

"How long are you here for? And how did you find me?" she asked, feeling like it was more of an interrogation rather than a conversation. Ariadne couldn't help it. There were so many things she wanted to ask, and more things she wanted to know. It was her nature to ask questions. It had been evident during the Fischer job. Arthur simply shrugged in response to her question.

"Until Cobb calls me again," again. The word burned in her mind. Had they been on another mission without her? Maybe it was better off this way. She was young and was still in school. Still, Ariadne was uncertain about it. "And I asked Miles. I mean, your professor." he said, correcting himself. There were still unanswered questions in her mind. But she tried to concentrate on things other than her train of thought, which was travelling at over one hundred miles per hour at this rate. Arthur was here, in Paris, in her apartment. The room seem to tilt at a slight angle and she felt a heavy weight on her chest. This was oddly new to her, but she was certain that this effect was unique to when Arthur was around. Ariadne felt a whirlwind of emotions that she couldn't explain- excited, giddy, confused. He looked, sounded and felt exactly the same. His voice still hardly expressionless and his posture seemed stiff like always.

"So. Your first night in Paris. Done anything special yet?" she chuckled, leaning against the couch. No one loved her city like she did. It was breathtaking, especially at night. The sun was just beginning to set and though her apartment wasn't in a prime location, she could see the Eiffel Tower, far off to the right in the distance. It wasn't a particularly amazing view but she loved it all the same. She sat on her balcony most nights, endless thoughts taking over her mind. Arthur shook his head, to her delight, and she gave him a coy smile.

"You're spending it with me. Lose the tie," she said, suddenly gaining confidence. From the surprise look on Arthur's face, this was going to be quite a night.