Author's Greeting: Hello! Happy Holidays! I come bearing a short Christmas fic that will be posted in 5 parts. Ever since the first Christmas season that Inception came out I've been wanting to write a Christmas inspired fic. Well, 3 years later and here it is. It's inspired by one of my favorite modern Christmas songs by The Waitresses, Christmas Wrapping. If you haven't heard it, see my profile for a link to the video and lyrics. I enjoyed listening to it all throughout the writing process (I finished this fic this past spring ;) and I hope you enjoy it too.

Full Title: All I Want For Christmas Is Completions And Connections

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimers: I do not own Inception, it's characters, or the song Christmas Wrapping.

Winter

The warmth of the ski shop is a welcome change for Ariadne, but perhaps more so is the prospect of being able to remain upright for a length of time. Despite her friends' reassurances that everyone falls that much their first time, she has quickly discovered, by way of a sore ass, that snowboarding is not for everyone.

"You may want to try some ice on that."

Ariadne freezes at the sound of a male voice next to her. She thought she had been surreptitious in her ministrations to her behind, but by the very amused look on the stranger's face, she was not.

"Oh, I didn't see you there." The words are out of her mouth before she realizes the stupidity of them.

The handsome stranger continues to smile and thankfully doesn't remark on her inane comment. "Let me guess, first time snowboarding?" he asks.

"Uh, yeah," she responds, sheepishly. "How did you know?"

"The inappropriate public touching you were doing to yourself just a moment ago—you didn't look like you were enjoying it."

Her mouth drops open at his audacity. "That wasn't inappropriate! My ass…I hurt myself," she corrects.

"Snowboarding, right?"

"Yeah, but how did you—"

"I saw the tiny, beat-up rental snowboard outside the shop. Only beginners use those."

"That appropriate-size adult snowboard could belong to anybody in here." Ariadne takes a quick look around the shop, hoping to find another customer of small stature as herself. All she sees are two other men, both inconveniently tall. "Well, okay, it's mine."

The attractive stranger gives her concession a dimpled smile. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's just that you caught me a little off-guard. I usually know a girl's name first before she starts rubbing herself in front of me."

She raises her brow at that comment, but presses her lips together to prevent herself from making a smart-ass remark, or worse, laughing. The two other men in the shop however, do not contain their amusement. They start snickering and Ariadne thinks she hears one of them say, 'smooth.'

"Do you know those guys?" she asks when the stranger frowns at them.

"No," he answers quickly. "Just ignore them."

Ariadne sees them look up when they're mentioned and she notices that they are both good-looking, in their own ways. One of the guys has a dark complexion with unruly, curly hair that her fingers itch to touch. The other is a dark blond who gives her a smile that can only be described as cheeky.

"Are you sure you don't know them? They keep looking at us."

"I—"

"C'mon, Arthur! She isn't interested and we have to go."

The stranger's—Arthur's—ears turn pink when the blond with the British accent calls him out. "Actually, I do know them," he concedes. "That's Eames."

"You coming, Arthur?" the dark-haired one yells out, halfway out the shop door.

"Yeah, just give me a minute." He turns back to her. "And that's Yusuf."

"You have interesting friends. I'm Ariadne." She sticks her hand out for him to shake. "And now you know my name."

"It's nice to meet you, Ariadne." He smiles, holding onto her a little longer than necessary. She's surprised to feel a loss of connection when he does release her.

"Arthur! Let's go!" Eames shakes his head toward the door and steps out.

"Uh, I have to go."

She smiles. "I know, I heard."

Arthur laughs. "Yeah. I guess you did." He stands there a couple more seconds, as if he has more to say. "Take care of your…injury."

"Thanks, I will."

He gives her a quick smile and heads to the door.

He stops short of opening it.

Automatically, she reaches for the business card he hands her. "On the off chance that I may have impressed you within the last few minutes." He gives her another dimpled smile.

His name and a phone number are listed on the card, but no other business information appears on it. "Is this a staircase?" she asks, examining it more closely.

"It's a Penrose staircase," he clarifies for her on his way to the door.

"Is it your company logo?"

"Something like that." With one last parting smile, he leaves.

Ariadne takes another look at the card, a smile of her own forming.

Outside the ski shop, Arthur joins his friends.

"Well?" Yusuf asks, handing Arthur his snowboard. "What happened with the girl?"

"What do you think happened?" Eames wraps his arm around Arthur's shoulders, quipping, "He tried to pull and she pushed."

Arthur shrugs his arm off and starts walking towards the ski lift. "I gave her my number."

"You did? She going to call you?"

Arthur turns back to eye the ski shop. "I don't know." He continues walking up the hill. "But it's worth a shot."

Author's note: Well, what do you think? As you read along, and if you've listened to the song, which I highly recommend, you'll notice I'm following along with the songs storyline. Next up, Spring.