A/N: Hey! This is my first Inception fic, so be nice! R&R! :)
Disclamer: I do not own Inception or any of its characters, they all belong respectively to Christopher Nolan.
The door clicked closed behind Arthur. Cobb and he had just finished discussing their latest extraction. Every one of them had been busy today, but of course Arthur was the last one to leave. Arthur was a work-aholic. One who wouldn't stop until his eyes slipped closed for a few moments and then open again, his body begging him to rest. And even then, Cobb would sometimes have to force him to leave.
But now he wasn't thinking about Arthur, or the Extraction. Cobb was too busy staring at the silver briefcase that lay ajar on his desk. He could remember every single time that he had used it; the memories flowed freely through his crowded mind. In fact, he remembered now how Ariadne had found him once, before Inception, exploring his own forced dreams- no- regrets.
Cobb put his hands to his face and let out a long sigh. That was the night when Ariadne had found out what he had never wanted anyone to know, what he had never wanted to share. It was bad enough that she had found out in the first place, but it was even worse when she realized that he had a problem; when she realized it could jeopardize Inception completely.
And damn-it- he hated how she had been right. How she had divulged from him his secret, and made him become conscious of the issues. Conscious of how…he had to let Mal go.
But he shouldn't think about that. He should be happy now. He had his children, his children had him. And he would never leave them, ever again. But did one little thought about Mal really hurt? What about…one little dream?
Cobb brought his head away from his hands and stared longingly at the silver briefcase. Could he do it?
Yes. Yes, he could. Nobody was here but him. He had seen each of the team leave.
With smooth, practiced hand movements, Cobb hooked himself up. And with all the things that he had admitted lately, he maybe could admit to himself that a single tear fell as he pressed the button, and drifted into unconsciousness.
A/N: Well, thanks for reading! I know it was short! I hope it wasn't too bad, and that you enjoyed! Reviews are very welcome and are appreciated! :)