Chapter 2: ...Dreaming on both, for all thy blessed youth...

_

Happy Valentines day everyone! It's okay if you're spending it alone, because I am too!

Warnings: Rated M for violence, language, and male on male sex. If that doesn't fly your kite, press the back button. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inception. If I did, it would not be nearly as good, because Chris Nolan is quite obviously a god among men. Enjoy!

Present day- Italy.

"This is the hotel we're staying in?" Kay scoffed as they entered through the sliding doors into a spacious and highly decorated lobby.

Roy would say different. He'd never been in a hotel nearly as high class and this, and he'd certainly never been to Europe. He thought the hotel was lavish and expensive and way too over the top for his tastes.

Arthur thought Kay should shut up, and that this hotel was perfect. It had nice art in the room, and it wasn't in his price budget, which meant he had to have it.

Eames is just horny.

The room itself was just like any other. Tv, bathroom, peppermints on the pillows, and two kings sized beds.

The same thought went through all of their minds. Roy looked at Kay. Kay looked at Eames. Eames looked at Arthur. Arthur was still trying to comprehend what went wrong.

"I call Roy." Kay spat. The others looked at her curiously. "I'm going to share a bed with Roy." She said superciliously, then set her bags on the bed closest to the door. "Have fun you two." She winked at Arthur and Eames.

Three and a half months ago- France.

The college had only changed in one way since Arthur had last set foot in its halls three years ago.

Cobb. He worked here now. Cobb said it was because he wanted to see his kids every night and wanted to use his knowledge of the human mind for good. Arthur still thinks it's because he couldn't handle Arthur and Eames being a "couple".

"Arthur?" Cobb peered through the door at his old friend.

"Dom." Arthur nodded and shook Cobb's outstretched hand.

"Glad you could come all the way out here to meet my pupil." Cobb smiled. "Come on in and meet her. She's a gem."

Arthur paused and took a breath. "I... Um... Actually, I'll be right in, I just have to..."

"Are you waiting for something?" Cobb asked.

"Eames is in the bathroom."

Cobb let go of Arthurs hand and his smile dipped a little. "Are you still together?"

"We're taking a break." Arthur explained.

"Ah." Cobb spotted something over Arthurs shoulder, and Arthur turned to see his boyfriend... lover... whatever.

"Is she in there?" Eames asked, smiling broadly and putting an arm around Arthurs waist, clearly forgetting everything Cobb had said the last time they spoke.

"Yes." Cobb responded.

"What did you say she was exactly?" Arthur asked, subtly taking Eames' hand off of his waist and giving it a squeeze.

"She's somewhat of a Jack-of-all-trades. Straight-A student in my class, can psycho-analyze anyone with only a sentence, extremely clever and sly, and..." Cobb shot a glance over his shoulder and made a motion with his hand. Arthur heard the clack of something plastic hitting a desk and a huff of disappointment from the room. "...a kleptomaniac." Cobb smiled mischievously. "Come meet my latest project."

The two men entered the classroom and faced the girl.

She would have been slightly smaller than Arthur had she been standing, but she was slouched in a chair that looked too uncomfortable to be slouching in. Her feet, encased in black leather steel-toed boots, rested on top of Cobb's desk. When Arthur put out his hand very business-like, she shook it weakly with one of two gloved hands.

"Nice to meet you." Arthur tried to keep a straight face.

"The gloves are a precaution." She said her cockney accent snappish in condescension. "You were wondering."

Arthur nodded, confused about how she knew what he was thinking, but sat down next to Eames anyway, who was smiling mischievously. "So, Kay, how many different languages can you speak?"

She took a moment to count on her hands, then answered. "Russian, English, French, Chinese, German, Italian, Swahili, and Spanish." She smiled. "The basics."

"Good." Arthur stole a glance at the memo pad in Eames' hands. "What is your biggest weakness?"

Kay looked at him and smiled slightly. "Please."

Eames raised his eyebrows in satisfaction. "Do you work well with others?"

"Oh god, do I have to?"

"Kind of." Arthur and Eames said in unison.

"Shit." Kay snared.

"It won't be a problem." Arthur assured her. "We have one last question."

Eames leaned forward in his chair, fingering something just out of Kay's sight. "Have you ever been in a dream?"

"Sure." Kay said. "I've had dreams."

"No, no." Cobb spoke for the first time during the interview. "Dream sharing. Have you ever shared a dream with someone else?"

Kay thought about it for a moment, and then shook her head.

The three men looked at one another, then Cobb stood. "I'll be right back."

Cobb left the three alone.

"So what do you like to do?" Kay asked the two, leaning impossibly further back in her chair. "Besides each other, that is."

"What? No, no." Arthur was the first to jump to denial. "Why would you even say that?"

"The way he," She gestured towards Eames with her head. "looks at you, is obviously wanting to touch you at every moment, and how you look back." She finally put her feet on the ground. "You share a notepad."

"And?" Arthur said defensively.

"That tells me you live together, seeing as it's not on a hotel brand."

"We could have just met somewhere, and I happened to have a pad." Eames stepped up, but his smile gave away his awe.

"Doubtful." Kay smiled back.

"Oh good, everyone still has heads." Cobb said as he re-entered the classroom, this time carrying a silver case.

"What are you doing, Dom?" Arthur stood quickly, his chair clattering to the ground.

"She doesn't need mazes, Arthur, she needs immersion." Dom opened the case away from Kay so she couldn't see what was in it.

"He's right Dom, this is reckless." Eames stood as well.

"Kay, I want you to steal Eames' wallet." Dom said, ignoring the other two men. "Eames, you'll be the dreamer. Arthur, you're the architect for this round."

"Dom, I don't think-"

Dom held out a clear plastic tube. "Do you want her?"

Arthur sighed and admitted defeat by taking the IV and pressing it into his skin. Kay and Eames followed suit, and Cobb pressed the center of the PASIV with a wink.

_

Eames looked at his surroundings. He was standing on the streets of a downtown metropolis, tall and elaborate buildings stretching to touch the sky with spires and spindly fingers of glass and iron.

The only thing remotely "Arthur" about this dreamscape was that the streets were completely void of debris; not even a single piece of gum littered the unblemished grey concrete.

As he walked, projections began to trickle in, seemingly from nowhere. He smiled at each of them, appreciating that each shadow of his subconscious looked a tiny bit like Arthur.

"Pardon me." A woman said as she bumped into him, causing him to run into another man, this one tall with Arthurs eyes.

"It's alright." He pardoned her and kept walking. Then it hit him. His pocket was just a tiny bit lighter, and that woman's hair was two shades lighter than Arthurs.

Eames turned around and spotted her instantly. Kay.

Eventually the young woman turned into a parking garage after three blocks of Eames subtly following her. He waited a few moments before ducking into the huge room, and was delighted to find it was empty, all but himself, a few cars, and Kay.

He drew the gun from his belt and pointed it at Kay. She turned around at the sound of the hammer being drawn back and screamed.

"Good, but a novice mistake." He said coolly.

"What?" Kay said her accent now mid-western.

"You look just like you do when awake." He smiled. "Only your hair is darker."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She insisted.

Eames ears suddenly perked at a distinct sound.

Click.

He looked at the car door beside him. In it's reflection, the man from earlier. Without turning, he knew who it was.

"Brilliant."

"Thank you."

The man's voice was higher and not without a cockney accent.

_

"How did it go?"

Arthur and Cobb were hovering just above Eames when he woke.

"She's... Quite brilliant." Eames sat up and detached the IV from his wrist.

Kay shot up from her seat and ripped the needle from her vein with a victorious cry. "Yes! I got you so good!"

She pointed to Eames and laughed. He got up and faced her with a smile.

"You did!" He hugged her. "I'll tell you the details later." He threw back at Arthur.

"I guess that means she's hired." Arthur put out his hand to Kay, who shook it happily, and then another to Cobb.

"You know, Mr. Eames," Kay said later as they were exiting the building to go their separate ways. "That dream only confirmed my suspicions."

"What about it?" Arthur asked, turning back to take up the conversation.

"Every single goddamned person in there looked a little bit like you." She smiled and walkd off in the direction of the dorms.