I do not own Inception, Google or Youtube, though I do mention them a bit in here.
I hope the video that played in Australia for Valentines day is the same as the one you guys get around the world here! Go see it, its adorable.
"Aww, its so cute!"
The exclamation rang out across the warehouse and captured the men's attention. Ariadne sat at her laptop, headphones in her ears, giggling. Eames glanced at Arthur, attempting to catch his attention.
"Ariadne…darling, what are you doing?"
Ariadne glanced up, waving her hand at Eames in a typical 'don't bother me right now' gesture.
More exclamations ensued.
"Hurry up, for Pete's sake, all she wants is a skipping rope."
Arthurs curiosity was piqued. "Ariadne?"
"See! Told you. Nawwww!"
"Your woman's gone insane, Point Man."
"She's not my woman, Eames."
"But you want her to be."
Arthur kept his mouth shut, glancing over to Ariadne in case she had heard. She was oblivious, earphones on.
His reaction amused Eames.
"Its Valentines day, Arthur."
"What, are you upset I didn't bring you a gift?"
"Yes, but we'll get to that later."
"What's your point, Mr Eames?"
"It's the international day of romancing. So go romance."
"That's your job."
"And I do it very well – "
"That's arguable."
" – yet I honour the bro code, and you have first right."
Arthur stared at Eames for a while.
"I'm your bro?"
"That's all you got from that?"
Arthur rolled his eyes, rising gracefully from his chair. "I'm going to go talk to Ariadne."
"I knew it!" Eames crowed.
"Only to get her take on the second level." Arthur reasoned, and Eames pouted. "That and she's the only other normal person around here."
"Oh, trust me, Arthur, you are far from normal." Eames assured, earning a well-aimed paper ball to the head.
Arthur walked over to the Architect, already feeling his heart beats increase and his mouth go dry. It was something about her – be it her wit and intelligence, her creativity, or her casual grace and charm – that drew him in. It was a feeling in his very sternum, a singing throughout his body, like his very blood was calling for her. He felt like a high schooler again. Something about her made him nervous. So naturally he shook it off, reverting to his calm, collected persona.
"Ariadne?"
She jolted, taking off her headphones to speak properly to him.
"Sorry, Arthur, this is just the sweetest thing I've ever seen." She sighed, before smiling brightly at him. "How can I help you?"
"By hurrying up and shagging him." Arthur head Eames mutter lowly under his breath, but knew that Ariadne couldn't have heard it unless she had cat hearing. He sincerely hoped she didn't.
"Just wondering if you had any designs for me to check." He said, watching her turn and flick through papers on her desk. She had twirled her hair with a pencil and stuck it in to create a bun on her head, and a few tendrils of curls had escaped to rest on the nape of her neck, and she bent her head over the papers so delicately –
"Here we are!" Ariadne brought Arthur back from his daydreaming, clutching the layout plans triumphantly.
Arthur nodded, letting a small smile slip past as he took the papers. "Thank you."
He turned to go to his desk, professional as ever, and then turned slightly back.
"I was wondering, do you have any plans for tonight? We could go out for dinner. As in, a dinner date."
Arthur hesitantly looked up to see Ariadne's reaction.
She was back into her computer, earphones on, oblivious. Once she realised Arthur was still there, she blinked.
"Oh, sorry, Arthur, was there something else? What's going on?" She frowned as Eames cackled in the corner.
Arthur sighed. "Never mind."
…
"You've got to try harder."
"I'm not trying anything."
"Oh nonsense, that date wasn't trying something?"
"It wasn't a date."
"You said the phrase 'dinner date'. That's a date. With dinner, as a matter of fact."
"Well it was nothing."
"Cause you were too afraid to ask properly."
"It was merely a casual suggestion."
"Chicken."
Smack
"Ow! Stick-in-the-mud, you're an arse."
"Then why are you giving me chocolates?"
"The next plan of the Valentines day attack."
"Thanks, Eames, but I don't swing that way."
"They're not for you, you moron, their for Ariadne from you."
"You're the ass." Arthur muttered, nevertheless walking over to Ariadne, boxed chocolate in hand. Ariadne looked up in surprise to see him standing there again, and she smiled when he held out the box.
"Oh, thank you, Arthur, that's so sweet." She took one, waving for Eames to come over. "Such a nice pick-me-up for the team, we need sugar."
"Arthur sure needs a pick-me-up from you, sugar." Eames muttered again, before Arthur kicked him in the shin, eliciting a yelp.
"Yes, exactly the thing for the team. We've got to keep working on a profile for Montre."
…
"You're a pansy." Was all the warning Eames gave Arthur an hour later, before shrugging on his coat.
"C'mon, you two!" He stated loudly so Ariadne could hear across the warehouse. "We're going out to dinner."
"What for?" Ariadne asked, charchol in hand, clearly in work mode.
"To celebrate being young and alive and wealthy enough to get plastered and hook up." He sent a glance between Ariadne and Arthur that made the Point Man want to die. Or shoot Eames. Or both, at the same time, so he wouldn't have to deal with the outcome.
"Thanks, Eames, but I've really got to get a move on with these designs." Ariadne rolled her eyes, and went back to work.
"So I'm guessing you're staying, Arthur?" Eames commented slyly, grinning at the glare Arthur shot towards him.
"Well the marks mistress's details are sketchy, and seeing as without those you can't do your job, Mr Eames, I have to stay behind."
Eames frowned; Arthur was correct. "Fine. Just don't come crying to me tomorrow since you ended up alone on Valentines Day." He left abruptly.
"Wait, that's today?" Ariadne asked, before shaking her head. "Completely forgot, that makes sense for the Google video."
Arthur took in a breath, now was a fairly good chance to ask, but then he let the air out of his lungs. He'd asked enough today. As had Eames, in an attempt to make this plan of attack work. He wasn't going to risk anymore.
They worked for a few more hours, before Arthur looked up to find Ariadne standing expectantly at his desk.
"Its ten, Arthur, and the streets are filled with dodgy characters, as you always say. Aren't you going to walk me home?"
He was blank for a second, before gathering his things quickly.
They locked up the warehouse and began to stroll down the street. The air was crisp still, but there was a promise of spring coming soon. The sky was clear of clouds, and the light from the stars and the moon was like heaven. It was a night for love.
Arthur was screwed.
He walked slowly beside her, his long legs covering more distance than hers so he changed his usual gait to match hers. Her breath fogged slightly in front of her, which of course brought his attention to her mouth. He fought to remain sensible. He failed miserably.
"So, its Valentines day, and you didn't have any plans?" Smooth, Arthur.
She was amused somehow, which gave him hope that he hadn't offended her. "Well, my family doesn't really celebrate it. I always wanted to, but never got a chance to. And besides, work is kind of taking over my whole life at the moment."
"We'll all take a break soon, live normal lives for a few months." He assured her.
"That's good. But I'll miss seeing you two every day." She admitted, shooting him a look that he didn't dare read into.
Arthur could think of no response, and so the continued to walk, their footsteps in synchronisation, their hands swinging close to one another but not touching. It was excruciating.
All too soon, they stopped out the front of Ariadne's apartment.
She looked up at him with a smile that he returned, before collecting himself.
"I should be going."
"Ah. Right, of course." She frowned slightly, before turning to her door. Arthur stood still, not wanting to move just yet. He was surprised when she walked back to him.
"I feel like I'm forgetting something."
He glanced down at her, trying not to notice how her skin looked in the moonlight. "Your coat."
"No wonder I was cold. Its back at the warehouse."
Arthur checked his watch. "Its not too late to go back and get it."
"Will you come with me?"
He swallowed. It was far too difficult to say no to her. And he wouldn't, regardless.
"Of course."
They walked back along the path they had taken. Ariadne shivered.
"Cant believe I didn't notice it before."
Without thought, Arthur shed his overcoat and put it gently around her shoulders. She curled her fingers around the lapels gratefully.
"You sure you wont be cold?"
"I'm fine, thank you." He nodded. He was wearing a suit, after all. And she looked much better in his jacket. He pushed that thought from his head, worrying about his sanity.
The pair retrieved the jacket, locked the warehouse, and walked back to her apartment. Ariadne didn't remove Arthurs jacket, and Arthur made no attempt to take it from her. They were a block away from her apartment when Ariadne turned to face Arthur.
"When are you going to ask?"
He blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry?"
She grinned at him. "Arthur. I'm a sensible person, you know that."
"Its arguable." He commented with a smirk, but let her continue.
"Its not every day that I forget my jacket when its 8 degrees Celsius outside."
The answer began to dawn on Arthur. "It's a little late, but I know a good bistro that stays open."
She beamed, and it knocked some of his breath from his lungs. He still managed to ask the crucial question properly. "Do you want to join me?"
"I'd be delighted." She said.
She abruptly reached up on tip-toe to kiss him, just the same as in the Fischer job, a soft brush of the lips that was leaning towards something more.
Later on in the week, Arthur Youtubed the video that had played on Google on Valentines Day.
Hope you enjoy, its just something I thought up when my sister and I watched the Google Valentines Day video.
Review if you like it.
Light-and-Smoke