Disclaimer: I don't own "Inception." Everything belongs to whoever owns them, my wishful thinking aside.

Authors Note #1: This is kind of ridiculous but got kind of serious and honestly I was doing something completely different when this story started so honestly I am as confused as you are, really. This is also my first work in the fandom and I only just ended up watching the movie a week ago so don't mind me trailing in absolutely YEARS late or anything.

Disclaimer:kind of a – 'how they got together' fic as it is my understanding of the characters at this point that Arthur is more or less pretty buttoned up and probably stews up a crockpot in UST until he finally decides to do something about his feelings type of person. Adult language, inappropriate public boners, nudity.

Nodus Tollens

Chapter One

"I don't dabble in experimentals, darling," Eames stated dismissively. Introducing both him and Ariadne to a conversation already in full swing as Olivia, their latest stand-in chemist, trotted close at the forger's heels. She was here on the understanding that it was a temporary position – at least until Yusef stopped ignoring them. Punishing them for the mess they'd gotten him into last time despite earning a coveted double share. "No matter how lovely they're packaged."

"Come on, Eames. Be a sport, would you?" she wheedled, following him through the door with a needle of purple and gold-flecked compound twirling innocently between her fingers. "This needs to be tested before our mark gets the stick and I'm flat out of volunteers."

He turned in his chair to watch the exchange. Straightening the sleeves of his dress shirt as Eames leaned up against the nearest wall, arms crossed. The man's posture was defensive and firm, but with a tell-tale looseness that suggested he wasn't completely opposed to the idea.

He snorted internally, but no less indelicately in the privacy of his own thoughts. Allowing himself the lapse on account of good behavior – most notably shown by not strangling their forger and burying him in a ditch somewhere years ago as Eames eyed the compound thoughtfully. It was the reckless, adrenaline-seeking part of him, no doubt. The part that just couldn't help but fall arse first into trouble the moment things started getting predictable.

And naturally, being as good as she was, Olivia noticed and promptly pounced on it.

"It's completely safe, love. Our mark has that heart condition- I had to come up with a brand new compound so there weren't any complications with his medications. But I need to make sure the kinks are all worked out before we get the show rolling. Ariadne has a cold so she's out and Arthur is-"

"Busy," he broke in, quickly. Letting his hand sweep across his desk as if to confirm the veracity of the statement. Having no real desire to have some untested compound put him on his back for the next few hours when he had a desk full of research to get through.

Saito had been more than generous in the aftermath of the Fischer job. Even going so far as to pass on references where he saw fit. But he knew they couldn't rely on the businessman's generosity forever. Nor would he want too. Saito was no longer the enemy, but neither was he a particular friend either. They had to start building their own resume, especially after Cobb's retirement. And considering he preferred not mix work and pleasure whenever possible, distancing themselves from the Fischer job and all it's entanglements only made sense.

Eames' eyebrows edged up a couple notches.

"And I'm just teeming with free time, hmm?"

"You are today," he replied, ignoring the death-glare the man shot him in favor of sending Olivia an open, commiserating smile. Just enough to give the impression of sharing confidences as the woman smiled delightedly. "You told me this morning you had everything wrapped up on your end, Mr. Eames. At least until we figure out how many levels Mr. Yellon is going to require to get what we need. So, as I understand it, your afternoon is free."

"Thank you, Arthur. So helpful," Eames snipped, mostly without heat. Looking slightly put out before something else caught his interest and he was spinning away again, just like he always did. Never serious. Always light. And absolutely infuriating. The terrible part was that he loved him for it. Which was awkward considering he'd decided to keep the man at a safe distance a long time ago. Preferably leashed with a muzzle for good measure.

It was all terribly inconvenient.

By the time Eames turned his attention back the matter at hand he was ready for him. Staring back impassively, completely straight faced. Not allowing a drop of the almost giddy, adolescence glee he felt at getting one over him show as Eames let out a dramatic sigh and gave in.

"Fine, but I'll have you know this is workplace coercion and I'm reporting you lot to HR immediately."

"We don't have an HR department," Ariadne pointed out. Daubing underneath her nose self-consciously before tucking her chin back into the depths of her sweater to sniffle in relative safety. "Besides, if we did, it would probably be Arthur anyway."

"See! What did I tell you? The chips have been stacked against me from the beginning!" Eames crowed, apparently deciding to stick with extreme volume over any real protest as he continued on with a litany of complaints as Olivia bullied him into a chair next to the PASIV and started readying the dose.


Eames hadn't been under for more than three minutes when Ariadne let go of a strangled sound. It was more of a plugged up, girlish-squeak than anything. But it was enough to pull his attention away from his paperwork and over to where the two women were sitting – checking Eames' vitals.

And, oh-

Well, then.

A surprisingly damning flush stole across his cheeks when he wandered over and caught sight of Eames' current...predicament. Unsettled by the strength of his reaction but also finding himself with a sudden wealth of excuses why he should linger. Worse, the pad-locked box in the back of his mind neatly labelled 'Eames' - the one he'd already decided was not to be opened under any circumstances – was already trying to inch it's way off the shelf of self-imposed seclusion he'd placed it on. Clearly eager to be set free. Which apparently seemed to be a running theme if Eames' privates had anything to say on the matter.

He swallowed. Hard.

"Ah- whoops," Ariadne colored, looking away quickly but not without a grin as the forger's cock firmed up against the snug line of his truly awful trousers.

"Looks like someone is enjoying himself," Olivia hummed saucily. Giving the unconscious forger a overly drawn out - in his opinion - once over, before leaning back in her chair with a self-satisfied expression. Something that had to be, at the very least, a serious breach of medical ethics. If not the building blocks of a sexual harassment case.

Not that Eames would mind.

The absolute flirt that he was.

"Isn't that unusual?" he asked, coming around to Eames other side. The one that showed the brunt of the lax, sleep-soft expression which was actually rather distracting in its own right. Priding himself on how level the words sounded as Eames slept on. Somehow managing to be just as much of a problem asleep than he was awake. "Having a reaction like that?"

"Strictly speaking, yes," Olivia answered. Adjusting her glasses as she leaned over and checked the monitor for good measure. Ignoring the normal pace of it's beeping in favor of capturing his wrist to count it out for herself. "But this compound is a bit unorthodox. The list of prescriptions that old coot takes in the morning alone was hard enough to work around - not to mention his evening rotation. Finding something that wouldn't compromise the effectiveness of his medications was difficult. So- honestly, I'm not surprised we're seeing some unusual reactions."

He kept the rest of his thoughts to himself as the minutes ticked passed. Disliking the feeling of the variables being outside his control. He wasn't like Eames. He didn't thrive in chaos. His backup plans had secondary measures of their own and often third and forth versions of the same. Eames flew by the seat of his pants and made no excuse for it.

Which, naturally, ended them right where they were.

Smack daub in the middle of things without a clue as to why.

But it wasn't until Eames' eyes fluttered open - pupil-dark and impossibly relaxed - that he realized it was far, far worse than that.


"How was it?" Ariadne asked. One hand hovering over his shoulder - just in case. The crinkled wisp of a used kleenex stuffed up her sleeve as Olivia unhooked him from the PASIV.

All of them somewhat at a loss when Eames remained supine across the padded chair. Forgoing his usual habit of rabbiting almost immediately. Eager to be moving about and generally back to being a nuisance in less time than everyone combined. Instead, this time Eames seemed content with stretching out slowly, indulgently. Like every movement was stuck in molasses as Olivia took full advantage. Performing a few quick tests with his blood pressure and reflexes as the man blinked sleepily.

"Bit of a let down, honestly," Eames murmured softly. Expression noticeably brightening when he caught sight of him looming off to the side. Apparently neither noticing or caring that his cock was still hard and straining against his zipper.

"It was purple. I figured there would be more- purple you know?" Eames added, tossing his hand up vaguely. Spreading the fingers until Ariadne was forced to take them. Seeming to realize she'd been tricked the same moment Eames tangled their fingers together and brought them up to his face. Rubbing the soft of her knuckles against the grit of his stubble with a contentedly tactile sounding purr.

"Um?" Ariadne supplied helpfully, looking up at them. Apparently at a loss as Eames blinked slowly up at him. Sloe-eyed and flushed. Receptive. Like-

Well, fuck.


A/N: Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think. – There will be two more chapters, stay tuned.

Reference:

* Nodus Tollens: "the realization that the plot of your life doesn't make sense to you anymore. That although you thought you were following the arc of the story, you keep finding yourself immersed in passages you don't understand, that don't even seem to belong in the same genre—which requires you to go back and reread the chapters you had originally skimmed to get to the good parts, only to learn that all along you were supposed to choose your own adventure."