Title: 40 Moments in Time
Author: ThePointGirl
Rating: M (for *ahem* stuff - if you don't know what ahem is you're too young - leave!)
Notes: 40 words for to describe the relationship of Eames and Arthur.
Kiss
The first time they kissed was when Eames had playfully tried to place a kiss on Arthur's cheek in a fun farewell. Something that the point man let him do. Arthur had turned to look at Eames a little too quickly and Eames' lips settled on his. Not that Arthur pushed away…
Soft
A part of Arthur's heart swells when he finds a very small, rather ragged but soft haired teddy bear at the bottom of Eames' suitcase. He never mentioned it to the forger: that would be mean.
Pain
When Arthur is under the sedative, he is always head hunted by projections. This is mostly when he is with Cobb or Eames. Projections seem to go for the ones the extractor needs. The pain when Arthur is shot stabbed or hit with glass is extreme. But what is worse is when the person causing you the hurt, is the person you love.
Rain
Like on the Fischer job, in a dream rain is mainly caused by the dreamer needing the lavatory. However in Eames dreams, he uses the heavy, stormy, and sticky droplets to back Arthur up against a tree and devour him little by little.
Chocolate
Arthur is certain that leading life without eating chocolate would be an easier New Year's revolution than giving up Eames. But as St Valentine's Day appears, Arthur is even surer that Eames and chocolate is a lot more interesting.
Happiness
Eames knows Arthur as the serious, no-crap-or-bullshit-with-me-or-you-die Arthur. So when the point man smiles with his head shied away, he knows Arthur is truly happy.
Telephone
Arthur closed his eyes in frustration and a heat crept up to his neck from his fingertips. Cobb asked him where his phone was and he mumbled: 'it's at Eames' place in Mombasa'. Of all the clothing, books etc. he could have left, he had to forget the one item that would be in need. 'You should go back and get it then' if it wasn't for the smirk Cobb sounded like a PE coach talking about a forgotten kit to a schoolboy.
Ears
Eames frowned as he came through the door. He heard the sound of a mumbled voice moaning. He quietly moved around the house and found Arthur rubbing up through his suit pants on the sofa, a lazy smile on his face.
Death
It's still a stop of the heart when either of them watches the other fall in a dream. Their subconscious believes for a split second that they are not coming back. The trick your mind plays on you is scary.
Sex
The sex is something else. The pair can go from sensual caresses and kind slow words, to heavy breath and raw pleasure. Arthur remembers the use of 'the blonde' or 'the distraction' in their private dreams. Eames wanted to try it out, so Arthur was shocked as a blindfold was placed over his eyes and a husky feminine voice said uncouth words.
Touch
Eames smiles in his sleep as Arthur's hand caresses his cheek and lips. He knows it's Arthur because he receives a very, very gentle smack for that.
Weakness
Eames recognised Arthur's kink as being a suit and tie thingy. Nevertheless Arthur didn't realize how much it turns Eames on to watch him handle a Police-type JS submachine gun (the one he materialised on the Fischer job). But there was something hotter when Arthur used Eames' Beretta M9 to stroke down the forger's chest. Unloaded obviously, but the thrill of his own handgun's cool metal against boiling skin was remarkable.
Tears
Arthur never realised how much he missed Eames as they spent months apart. It was only when they were brought together under another commander Arthur wiped away invisible tears.
Speed
Eames and Arthur, though they would never tell, like to take trips to the remote parts of Italy to ruin the innocent race tracks up in the hills. Arthur drives a Nissan 370Z which is him in every which way. The car is sleek, not always aggressive, with many a hidden talent under the bonnet. Whereas Eames' car is a Trident Iceni, surrounded by two-tone leather and a sculpted dash, it's a 'real Brit's car'. Neither care about the make or the design, it's that primal rush of fear and excitement that builds into adrenaline.
Jealousy
Anyone would believe that Arthur would be the possessive lover, especially on jobs when Eames takes on various forms and using the mark. The dirty smiles and roaming hands, Arthur keeps away from Eames when he's doing any of that. Be that as it may, Eames doesn't like how the mark (the Stein job) couldn't take his eyes off of Arthur. Nor does he relish in the projections and their advancements.
Taste
Eames cannot pinpoint the exact moment when he became addicted to Arthur's mouth. But ever since whatever Arthur is talking about, be it dream levels and dream security, or every single type of coffee that has been concocted, Eames sometimes cannot look directly at the man.
Devotion
Whether Arthur knows or not, but Eames doesn't stray from him when they are apart. He never cheats because the look on Arthur's face, the downcast of his eyes, is enough for him to never wake up in anothers' room.
Forever
Both are realistic about their relationship, and they have an agreement in which one day it will end. Nothing lasts forever, but the chance of the present is all that they think of.
Blood
Amid the heat and undeniable pleasure, Arthur can feel pounding of blood in his ears which is in synchronicity of his heart. Eames slams into him once again and the pounding drowns out the moans and whimpers that fall from his lips.
Sickness
Eames has not been ill since lower sixth, so this bout was not well received 'I do not understand. I've feigned being un well copious amounts of time, the time I need not be ill is the one time I actually am!' Eames complained. Arthur changed his mind. After all going to Britain without Eames was like going to Calcutta without Yusuf.
Melody
Only Phillipa Cobb knew Arthur could sing. That was until she leaked the information to Eames (warning: never trust either of Cobb's children). None of the team knew why Arthur's ringtone was now The Police Message in a Bottle… well not the real reason.
Star
'Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun. That's John Lennon' Eames quoted lying on his back puffing on a cigarette with his head in Arthur's lap. Arthur prised the cigarette and inhaled, letting out smoke to say 'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars'. That night they slept under the mass of blackness in the back garden of Eames' apartment.
Home
Eames never felt like he had needed a home and Arthur never felt like he had one. Together is the only place where Arthur can unfreeze.
Confusion
Arthur didn't talk to Eames for a full day after Eames impersonated Cobb in a dream. Arthur prides himself on being able to spot reality from dream world; however Eames' copying was near perfection. Arthur was sure who he had gone under with: mannerisms and body language were too real. It was only when Cobb came too close (that kind of closeness was not good) that Arthur chucked at glass of gin at him. The mask dropped and Eames spluttered with a smirk 'fooled you for a bit, didn't I?'
Fear
Eames has always been the one to laugh in the face of danger. So when he encountered Arthur strapped to a chair by their mark and projections with bruises and blood dripping, his head bowed: Eames lost it. The fear of losing Arthur was his unconscious phobia.
Lightning/Thunder
'Jesus! Good in here isn't it? I can see why you use it' Eames shouted as Dom and Arthur continued to try and kill each other. The pathetic fallacy of thunder/lightening mirrored Dom and Arthur. The very rickety dream level of an old playhouse clearly wasn't holding three men even in dream land. The fight was to help their ability to fend off projections, and an excuse to let off steam. Arthur was slammed into the wall, but got up again. As a crack of light snapped Arthur tripped Dom up and the extractor plummeted through the badly created floorboards.
Bond
People have written books on the different types of love and how it is shown. Eames saw Dom's bond with Arthur as a protective brother type. He knew this as Dom threatened he would not hesitate in eliminating Eames from the world as he knew it if he in anyway hurt Arthur. Eames didn't know whether to run or laugh.
Market
Strolling around the markets in London, Arthur blended well into the business men gathering from station to station. He especially enjoyed watching the sellers, trying to put pressure on individuals to buy. It was the one place where he got Eames' present, knowing no one else would have thought of it.
Technology
Eames kept away from Arthur. The man had just thrown his laptop against the wall. Either there had been a massive drop in technological advancement and Arthur was being a brat, or something very bad had just happened.
Motorcycle
Eames dug out an old leather jacket in the depths of Arthur's cupboard with a huge grin. This grin got even bigger when he chucked it at Arthur and the man explained the worn marks on the elbows. 'My first Harley crash, never doing that again'. Arthur might not ride a motorcycle anytime soon, but he wore the jacket just for Eames.
Marshmallow
'Darling, what do you intend I do with this?' Eames asked holding upside down a cup of what used to be a liquid hot chocolate. The marshmallow in the cup had soaked up all the chocolate and expanded to the width of the beaker. 'Eat it?' Arthur asked helpfully, and then got to know that Eames didn't like marshmallows.
Innocence
Arthur's straight talking and has his heels in many fields of knowledge. But his age counts against him when Cobb and Eames share a joke and Eames replies with 'Don't want to ruin your innocence love'.
Hot
The heat was suffocating; it closed in on the pair and hugged them. 'Are you relaxed Arthur?' Eames asked Arthur who nodded slowly 'Nnnggg' and Eames poured more water on the coals making the sauna even hotter. This was definitely on the list of 'Things to Do after a Job'.
Imagination
Eames had a permanent grin as he walked through the vibrant carnival. This was Arthur's dream, a summer time carnival. The ritzy reds of the curtains of fortune taverns, yawning yellow sparkled from flame throwers and hanging lights, and the gleaming green of the grass underfoot. The projections ranged from families, to couples, to friend groups. Arthur proved had had a wild imagination, as he stood with a cowboy hat and the rest of the attire next to a bullpen. 'Fancy a ride?'.
Sky
Eames is a dreamer, not in the pasiv sense, but the futuristic sense. He always looked ahead taking what life threw at him and passing through it with charm.
Hell
Arthur has never believed in religion and Eames was brought up in a Catholic school. Eames swears before he finishes with Arthur. All their times on various beds in varying countries meant there was no way Eames was going to heaven. Then again he'd be paying his debt for gambling and other sins, so why shouldn't Arthur come with him?
Sun
Invariably because Eames wandered around the world, he was naturally tanned. Arthur was not pale, but he appeared to be next to Eames after the Brit came back from Miami. But sex on the balcony in Spain and their skins contrasting like marble and sand was lustful.
Waves
Arthur's feelings for Eames resembled a sea wave. The build-up of white foam and deep blue patterns crashed down heavily, hitting the sand and overturning everything that was there before.
Hair
Eames' eyes glistened with adoration when, on St Valentine's Day, Arthur came into his kitchen in an old Yale t-shirt that was dabbled and boxers, his hair sticking up every which way. He just looked impossibly cute. 'Happy Valentine's day Eames' Arthur said still blinking awake 'come back to bed please'.
Semantics
Throughout their growing relationship Arthur and Eames have argued on the right pronunciation of words and what is the right word to use and when. The battle of an Englishman and an American. Only in America it's a hood not a bonnet and other stupid equivalents. One thing the pair can count on, no matter where they were in the world, was that Eames loves Arthur and vice versa is the same in every language.
State which one you like best when you review, if you want to :)