Whole sentences in italics are a character's thoughts in his/her head.
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03: Warning Sign (Coldplay)
A warning sign
It came back to haunt me, and I realized
That you were an island and I passed you by
And you were an island to discover
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"Okay… I am not going to repeat myself. Can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?" Arthur asked, exasperated. He was exchanging glares between Ari and Eames, ignoring the fact that he was still, pretty much, just still in his boxers.
Aril noticed though.
"Uhh Arthur, can you please put on a shirt first?" Ariadne asked, obviously flustered at seeing Arthur half naked.
"Oh yes darling, even I must admit your six-pack is deliciously distracting," Eames purred from the floor.
"Eames, stop it," Arthur snapped at the man. He didn't have time for any of his flirtatious side comments at this time in the morning. He took this moment to glance at the clock on the wall.
Yep, definitely not at this hour.
"Okay, I am going in my bedroom to put on some clothes," Arthur explained as he looked at Ari, "and when I come out, I expect someone to please explain to me what is going on."
He didn't even wait for either Ari or Eames to respond to his statement. Instead, he marched towards his room. Although, he did catch Eames giving him a small flying kiss from the corner of his eye.
Crazy bastard.
Immediately after closing his bedroom door, Arthur went to his closet and rummaged through his clothes for something decent to wear. He picked out the topmost things on the pile - a white American Apparel v-neck and a pair of black shorts. He then closed the closet and readied himself for what was to follow.
Okay… When you go out there, Ari is going to explain everything, then everything is going to make sense. Everything will turn out all right. You'll see Arthur…
Arthur took one long, deep breath before stepping out into the living room. Of all the things he was expecting, he certainly wasn't expecting Ari and Eames to be at each other's throats again.
"So tell me Ariadne, how on earth did you manage to find me?" Eames asked as he casually poured himself a cup of tea like he owned the place. Arthur noticed that Eames finally put on some clothes as well. Although his white tank top and silky, black boxers didn't really help in hiding any flesh or his bulging muscles for that matter.
Not that Arthur was complaining though. Anytime he got to ogle at Eames' sexy body was always welcome.
Arthur quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought as quickly as possible. He forgot that Eames is engaged to Ari…
Actually, he's not quite sure anymore.
"Don't tell me you've been stalking me?" Eames asked again, a playful, but rather annoyed smirk plastered on his face.
"I just logged on to my computer to find the GPS location of Ted's phone Eames. And here you are at Arthur's apartment," Ari said dryly. She also was not in the mood to deal with this early in the morning.
"A-hem," Arthur faked coughed from the doorway, in attempt to catch their attention.
Both Eames and Ari looked at Arthur.
"Okay, can someone now please explain to me everything?" Arthur asked as he sat down at his small dining table.
"Okay," Ari replied as she took the seat right across Arthur's. She looked incredibly exhausted.
"Here you go love," Eames said as he gave Arthur the tea he prepared a minute ago and sat down at the chair beside him.
Arthur couldn't help but raise his eyebrow over Eames' casual display of affection. Especially since Ari was just in front of him and the Brit didn't bother making her a cup.
Smooth Mr. Eames. Real smooth.
"Uhh thanks," Arthur said, not really sure how or what to respond. He looked briefly at Eames, who had a smile beaming on his face, showing off his rather adorable, crooked teeth.
"Anytime love," Eames said, rather jovially too.
"Don't get too comfortable Mr. Eames," Arthur responded quite flatly.
Eames blinked a few times, taken aback by Arthur's sudden formality. "Now what's all the formality for, darling?" he asked, putting a bit of emphasis on the pet name.
"We have slept together twice now. I think that puts us past these… formalities, don't you pet?" Eames added, as he chanced a glance at Ari who looked absolutely uncomfortable.
Arthur didn't respond to that. Instead he asked with measurable annoyance, "Shouldn't you be sitting with your fiancé on the other side of the table?"
No sooner had he said that, Eames' smile instantly evaporated as he crossed his arms and said, a little to harshly, "She is not my fiancé."
"Ugh, ditto," Ari responded from the other side of the table as she waved a hand towards Eames in dismissal.
Arthur exchanged glances between the two of them and still had trouble picturing just what exactly is going on between the two of them.
"Okay, that explanation you promised me please Ari," Arthur repeated as he played around with his mug. He was trying to keep himself calm by distracting himself with the cup.
"Well…" Ari started off. She was at a loss on how to explain this situation to Arthur. After all, how on earth do you tell someone that your fiancé has a serious mental condition?
"It's complicated," she simply stated.
"Yes, I believe I have gotten that part perfectly Ari," Arthur said, unintentionally rolling his eyes in the process.
If there's one thing Arthur's quite good at, it's how he manages to keep his emotions in check when it comes to tense situations. Two years working under Saito had him going through daily verbal abuse. He needed to find a way to keep a poker face whenever he got the short end of the stick. It wasn't that hard, really. He just needed to put face for an hour or two before venting it out onto his private Twitter account - a highly foolproof system.
And this situation: Ari and Eames at his dining table certainly qualified as a tense situation.
Correction: a very tense situation.
Ari sighed. She realized that it's probably time to stop bullshitting with Arthur. After all, this was Arthur, the guy who could find anything or anyone on the Internet.
"Okay… The simplest way of telling you this is that Ted has D.I.D." Ari explained as she looked at Eames for emphasis.
"I'm sorry, what?" Arthur asked before proceeding to take a sip of his tea.
"Ted has Dissociative Identity Disorder. In other words, he has a spilt personality," Ari said matter of factly.
Arthur accidentally choked on his tea, promptly sending a few drops on the table.
"Wha… whaaat?" Arthur replied, once managing to calm down. "You've got to be joking!" he added as he wiped his mouth from residue.
Ari was looking at him somberly. She definitely wasn't joking. Not even in the slightest.
"I'm serious Arthur," she added.
Arthur looked at Eames like he was some sort of extra terrestrial creature.
"You mean you and Ted-"
"We share the same body? Why yes, darling, that we do," Eames finished for Arthur, looking quite bored and disinterested.
"But… How is that possible?" Arthur asked Eames before turning his gaze back at Ariadne. "I mean, I know it is possible, but come on… the odds of that happening in real life-"
"Well apparently there's only around five percent of the American population who is inflicted with this and it just so happens that the man you're sitting next to is part of that very small demographic," Ari said as she gestured towards Eames with her right hand.
"Well… Holy fuck," Arthur said as he glanced back at Eames who was still grinning at him.
"Will you stop smiling?" Arthur demanded. "Jesus Christ Eames, you couldn't have told me this before?" he asked, livid.
Eames just shrugged as he leaned his chair back. "I didn't think it would be a problem to be honest," the Brit answered.
Arthur saw Ari give Eames a look, to which Eames just rolled his eyes at.
"Really Eames? You didn't think it wouldn't be a problem? I slept with you for crying out loud! How did you think- Wait… Holy fuck, I slept with Ari's fiancé," Arthur said in horror as he buried his head in his hands.
"Darling, I am no one's fiancé," Eames repeated, his teeth gritting in annoyance.
"Shut up!" Arthur harshly said as he glared at Eames before turning back to Ari with utter horror in his eyes. "Oh god Ari, I slept with your fiancé-"
"Arthur darling for the last time, I am not-"
"Mister Eames, please shut up before I throttle this tea at you," Arthur hissed, not even bothering to look at Eames. His threat seemed to work as the man beside him suddenly turned mute. Arthur took that as a sign to continue.
"Ari, I slept with your fiancé. Or fiancé's body. Whatever you want to call it-"
"Arthur,"
"But to be fair, I didn't know he was bipolar of something. I mean, what are the odds of hooking up with a guy with a split personality in a club right? I mean-"
"Arthur, will you relax?" Ari cut him off. "You didn't sleep with Ted. You slept with Eames. That's different."
The raven-haired man gave her the same look that he gave Eames moments ago. It's as if she sprouted another head or two. Arthur couldn't believe what he just heard.
"What do you mean it's different? They share the same body Ari!" Arthur shouted. "They share the same dick! A dick I sucked and fucked with!"
"Okay Arthur," Ari interjected suddenly, "First of all, that's too much information. Second of all, this D.I.D. situation is already complicated to begin with, so I've managed to work out which things bother me and which things don't. I know that Ted and Eames are two entirely separate people, so in my mind, you simply slept with Eames. Although, I must admit, it is quite weird imagining you fucking Eames since he and Ted share the same-"
"Okay! I get it," Arthur said, embarrassed.
He was sure he heard a distinctive chuckle and giggle from the two of them.
"I mean Arthur, come on. You're the smartest guy I know and I pretty much love you like a brother. What other explanation do you think there could be after hearing Ted and Eames change accents earlier this morning?" Ari asked him as she propped her elbows on top of the table and rested her chin under her hands.
"I don't know… I thought he was some sort of actor… maybe," Arthur answered as he looked back at Eames to gauge his reaction.
In response to that, Eames' eyebrows shot up. That train of thought certainly never crossed the Brit's mind. In fact, he would have never assumed Arthur would think of him in that way.
"Me an actor? Oh darling, you flatter me," Eames said in mock appreciation as he placed his hand on his chest in indignation.
Ari, Arthur noted, actually giggled at that.
"It was either that or you were a con man," Arthur scowled back to his tea. He wasn't too keen on being made of a fool, more so by Eames.
"And now you wound me darling!"
"Oh shut up Mr. Eames."
A cool silence engulfed the room after that, as each of the three tried to avoid any further awkward conversations. Ari was busy looking around Arthur's apartment since this was, after all, her first time inside. Eames' body was turned towards Arthur. The Brit had his foot up on his chair as he rested his elbow on top of his knee as he stared at Arthur with utter amusement. Arthur, on the other hand, was playing around with the mug of tea in front of him.
This silence lasted for a couple of minutes, which was too long for Arthur's taste.
"So Ari, are you sure you're not angry with me sleeping with Eames?" Arthur asked, trying to rid the room of the eerie silence.
"I told you Arthur, I'm not. A bit weirded out that you slept with the man who happens to have the same body as my fiancé maybe, but I'm not angry."
"Okay… That's good," Arthur said, relieved. "I promise you it won't happen again anyway," he added.
Eames just snorted at that.
"Moving on," Arthur said as he glared at Eames, "how did this whole thing start anyway? Were you born with this condition? Also, why are you British and Ted is American? And why do you like guys?"
Arthur failed to notice how Eames' eyes softened when he dropped the mister. The raven-haired man was too busy processing the situation at hand to notice.
"Honestly darling, I wouldn't know that myself. All I remember was growing up with Ted with this condition. And as for the accent and the sexual preference, well, I don't know the answers to those either."
"But isn't that weird? I mean, the other you is straight and you're… kinda not."
"Actually Arthur, apparently that is highly plausible," Eames interrupted.
"Oh really? Well okay… I guess…" he paused before he asked, "Who's the real one then?"
"I'm afraid I don't follow your line of questioning, darling."
"I meant, the real person on the birth certificate? Surely there must be the real and the other personality," he explained as he air quoted the word, other.
He didn't have to wait for Eames to answer as the man just flinched at Arthur's question. And that flinch answered the question, loud and clear.
"I'm sorry. That was rude," Arthur said as he looked down in embarrassment.
"Hey, it's okay," Eames replied with a small smile as he patted Arthur's knee under the table to show that there weren't any hard feelings.
Arthur stared at Eames' hands on his knee and couldn't help but give a small, brief smile back. Brief because it would be painfully weird to flirt with Eames with his alter-ego's fiancé in the same room. When he realized that Eames was flirting with him in front of Ari, he couldn't help but scowl.
"Anyway," Arthur murmured as he shoved Eames' hands away. "Do you know why or how this happened?" he asked as he exchanged looks between Ari and Eames.
"Oh love, I wouldn't be here if I knew the answer to that question now would I?" Eames asked slyly.
"Ted hasn't told me anything much about this Arthur. Every time his therapist and I ask him about it, he just blanks up. Eames isn't much help either in this aspect," Ari explained.
"Therapist?"
"Oh yeah. That's how Ted gets his treatment. We talk to his therapist every Wednesday and Saturday to help get to the bottom of this, but we're moving at a slow pace. Eames doesn't really like to cooperate," Ari said as she flashed a disapproving look at the Brit.
"It's because I don't like her Ariadne," Eames answered dryly.
"She's trying to help Eames," Ari said, a little too hotly as she stood up in frustration. The Brit just gave her a really passive look in response.
"Is therapy the only option you have as a treatment?" Arthur asked quickly as he tried to deflect the tension.
Eames and Ari both stared at him, before the petite woman sat down in her seat.
"There's no surefire method on how to treat D.I.D. Arthur," Ari answered. "I mean therapy is the least controversial among all of them."
"And I am bloody not going through those treatments ever again," Eames spat.
As soon as Eames said that, Arthur couldn't help but notice the flash of pain on Eames' face. Sure he was angry and pissed at the moment, but the young architect was able to point that glimmer of pain for a fleeting second. And that bothered him. Arthur shuddered at the thought of Eames going through these "controversial" treatments. He didn't want to know nor had he any intention of finding out.
"Sorry I asked," Arthur murmured, thinking no one would be able to hear him.
Eames did though. And he gave Arthur a small sheepish smile; the Brit seemed to calm down a bit.
"So, uhhh, how do you come out then?" Arthur continued, his curiosity still not satisfied.
"Excuse me?" Eames asked as he arched an eyebrow.
"I mean, take over Ted's body… or something along those lines," Arthur added.
"Oh, I don't know… I just do," Eames answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Uh-huh," Arthur said, his tone evident that he wasn't satisfied with the answer given to him.
"It's hard to explain really. I just do. Sometimes when I really want to come out, I sort of force myself out. Usually Ted doesn't let me, so I'd have to wrestle with him for dominance. I usually win though. And then when I want to rest, I let Ted reclaim the body… or something like that," Eames explained.
"Huh," Ari replied.
"I'm sorry Ariadne, did you just scoff?" Eames asked, obviously not liking that sound from the girl.
"How come you never told me or the therapist this?" Ari asked, annoyed.
"Because unlike you and the therapist, I actually like Arthur," Eames smiled deviously as he patted Arthur's knee again. Ari just rolled her eyes at him.
"Okay Eames, you need to stop that," Arthur replied as he took Eames' hand away from his thigh, "Ari is just trying to help you."
Eames just rolled his eyes, which made Arthur frown. "She's not helping me Arthur darling. She's helping Ted, her fiancé. And that is a vast difference," Eames snorted.
Arthur couldn't help but frown some more. He didn't like how Eames suddenly attacked Ari like that. He was sure his best friend was only trying to help him. He was pretty sure that included both Ted and Eames.
"Eames, that's absolutely not fair to Ari," Arthur said as he gave Eames a warning look.
Eames just stared blankly at Arthur for about twenty seconds, before responding, "What's not fair to Ari?" in an American accent, no less.
"Ted?" Arthur asked, surprised at how seamless the transition was.
"Another thing you should know Arthur," Ari said as she stood up and gave her fiancé a hug, "is that Eames likes to disappear when things get too tough for him. And that usually leaves Ted and I to clean up the messes."
"You're too harsh Ari. He's just… troubled that's all," Ted replied as he returned his fiancé's hug.
Ari broke off the hug and stared at Ted. "Honestly Ted, I don't know why you keep defending him," she said tiredly.
"Ari, I've been living with him all my life. I know more about him than you do. He's just misunderstood. Even I can't figure him out. He just needs time to figure some stuff out. Hopefully, he'll be able to answer a few of my questions as well. So cut him some slack until then," Ted replied.
"Fine," she replied.
Arthur was surprised over how protective Ted was over his alter ego. He'd assume Ted wouldn't want anything to do with Eames because based on Ari's experiences, Eames wasn't really much of an upstanding citizen. It'd be easy for someone to dislike Eames right away. The fact that Ted had faith in Eames was touching.
"Anyway, what am I doing in this unfamiliar apartment?" Ted asked as he surveyed his surroundings.
"That unfamiliar apartment happens to be mine," Arthur said as he raised his hand up.
"Oh it is? Why am I here the- Ahh of course, Eames. I'm hoping he didn't give you too much trouble Arthur," Ted said, sadly, hoping his other half didn't do anything he would regret later on.
"It's nothing really. He wasn't too much of a trouble," Arthur lied. He didn't have the heart to tell the truth to Ted, who was being oh so courteous and polite.
Another thing that separates these two apart is that where Eames is abrasive, while Ted is prim and proper. It just gets weirder and weirder.
"Well that's good!" Ted said with a smile.
"Ted, we really should go back now. We've bothered Arthur long enough for a lifetime," Ari said as she dragged her fiancé up on his feet.
"Okay, well I'll see you soon Arthur," Ted said as he walked towards the door.
"So sorry about this Arthur. This is rather embarrassing really," Ari said with a flush as she looked at her co-worker.
"Really Ari, it's okay. I'm just glad we finally sorted everything out really," Arthur said as he gave the girl his famous smile, dimples and all.
Ari just smiled back and gave her friend a hug, only to be interrupted by her fiancé.
"Uhh, Arthur…"
Both Arthur and Ari turned around to face Ted.
"Where the hell are my other clothes? I seem to be just dressed in… basically underwear," Ted said as he gestured at his body.
Arthur laughed as he got Ted's clothes and chucked it at the taller man.
As soon as Ted was dressed, he and Ari stepped out of the apartment. Arthur was about to close the door when Ari's head came peeking in at the very last second.
"Yes?" Arthur asked her, eyebrows up.
"Can you uhh… please keep this to yourself? I don't want anyone finding about Ted's condition," she asked Arthur, eyes filled with concern and a hint of fright.
"Of course Ari," Arthur replied with a smile.
"Especially Dom," Ari added.
"Even Dom," Arthur replied back with a nod.
"Okay, thanks!" Ari said before disappearing completely.
Arthur couldn't help, but shake his head over that as he closed his front door and locked it up. To say that he had an interesting morning would be an understatement of the year.
He turned around and looked at his apartment.
Hmm… What am I going to do now? That talk with Ari, Ted, and Eames certainly kept me awake. I'm not even sleepy in the slightest.
Arthur stopped thinking and proceeded to his bedroom desk, where he kept his laptop. He found himself opening his laptop for some reason. As soon as it was on, he opened a new webpage and promptly typed in Google, "Dissociative Identity Disorder" and pressed enter.
It had been a very long, stressful weekend for Arthur Hansen. What started out as a one-night stand morphed into one, huge headache for the young architect.
So the guy I slept with turned out to be slightly crazy. And to top that off, he's fiancé to Ari who pretty much knows everything that happened between the two of us. Can we say mindfuck please? Arthur thought as he walked up the stairs towards his apartment.
He really should be letting this entire scenario go already and move on; however, the entire thing was absolutely insane that he couldn't help but replay the events in his mind again and again. Add to that the facts he picked up earlier during his Google search of D.I.D. didn't help in quelling his curiosity over Ted/Eames' condition.
So, all I got over the weekend was stress. And tomorrow, I'm gonna get some more stress at work. Sigh. Seriously, why does the universe seem to hate me lately? Arthur wondered as he fumbled with the keys in his pocket.
He was clutching the grocery bags in his one arm while the other was busy trying to open the lock from the door. He was a quarter way through the lock turn when he noticed that his door was left open.
Motherfucker. This is just what I need right now: an actual break-in! What else could go wrong in my life? Arthur cursed silently as he carefully put down the groceries on the hallway floor. He grabbed a huge jug of orange juice from one of the bags.
Okay, obviously, I am improvising with my choice of weapon.
Arthur slowly turned the knob and with his feet slowly pushed the door open, just enough to squeeze himself inside. He peeked through the door and found a figure, dressed in a black hoodie rummaging through his kitchen cabinets. Arthur thought this was a good time for a surprise attack, given the fact that the figure's backside was facing him.
Okay, you motherfucker. You better say your prayers!
Arthur raised the jug with both hands above his head. You know, to be able to whack the intruder's head with. He was halfway through the kitchen; just reaching the edge of the dining table when the intruder turned around and Arthur came face to face with a rather surprised, but rather familiar face.
"Eames!? What the fuck?!" Arthur shouted as he angrily dumped the orange juice on the dining table. "You fucking nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Eames just looked at him, scared to death from the surprise of seeing Arthur so suddenly.
"Why on earth are you here in my apartment? Again? And breaking and entering, no less? Again?" Arthur shouted as he placed his hands on his hips in annoyance.
"Uhh, Arthur, I'm not Eames at the moment."
"Ted!?" Arthur asked in shock. That American accent was too hard to miss. Although, Ted's response didn't answer Arthur's question. In fact, it created even more.
"Ted, what on earth are you doing here in my apartment without Ari?" Arthur asked.
Ted just smiled at him and answered, "Uhh, speaking of Ari…"
"Ted! I just saw these grocery bags hanging out in the hallway. Is Arthur in… yet?" Ari said as she entered the apartment, tugging the grocery bags Arthur left out in the hallway inside.
"Arthur! You're finally here!" Ari said with a smile as she continued dragging the bags over to the kitchen.
Arthur just stared at the girl, not really believing what he's seeing.
"Okay freeze!" Arthur shouted as he pointed both at Ari and Ted. "How the hell did you two get in here? My door was locked when I left to buy groceries."
Ari and Ted both glanced at each other.
"Uhh, Eames sort of broke in," Ari answered.
"Eames?" Arthur asked, not sure if he heard that correctly.
"Yes. Apparently he has lock picking skills I wasn't aware of," said Ted, looking very grim. "Anyway, after picking the lock, he sort of disappeared leaving me and Ari in your apartment."
Arthur slapped a hand against his forehead. "I should have known. I thought I was getting robbed for your information."
Ari exchanged glances between Arthur and that huge jug of orange juice on the dining table. "And you were planning on doing what exactly with your intruder in the event that you were indeed getting robbed? Make him drink orange juice?" she asked with a snicker as she pointed to the jug beside Arthur.
"I was going to whack him on the head for your information," Arthur pointed out as he patted at the nearby jug.
"Anyway, what are you guys doing here? That you had to break into my apartment?" he asked the two as he narrowed his eyes at the two of them.
"Actually, it's because of Eames why we're here," Ted answered as he scratched the back of his head in anxiousness.
"What about Eames?" Arthur asked as he crossed his arms against his chest.
"Well Ari told me what happened this morning with Eames and how pretty much he was basically telling you his point of view," Ted said nervously.
"Go on," Ari said as she nudged Ted to continue.
"I was wondering if I can stay over here for a week?" Ted asked, or rather blurted it out more likely.
Arthur's eyes just widened.
"I figured that if he spent time with you, he'd be able to talk to you more and we can probably figure out some answers or something," Ted continued.
"What? Are you insane?" Arthur replied, and then let out a small gasp over his choice of words. "I mean, why me?"
"Because what Eames told you in one morning was more than the time he spent with me and the therapist for two months," Ari replied. "He likes you Arthur. Strange as it may seem, but he does and he opened up to you."
"Okay, I'm sorry, but I barely had time to digest everything you told me this morning and you want me to spend a week with Eames, who even without the multiple personality disorder is incorrigible as hell?" Arthur spat.
Ted looked crestfallen. "It'd be a great help Arthur. I… I've lived with Eames my entire life and he has never taken a liking to anyone except you. To be completely honest, you're the only person he's ever opened up to… and maybe, just maybe you'd be able to finally give me some answers on my condition," Ted said.
Arthur stared at the man and his heart did flips on seeing how utterly in despair Ted was.
"Why, a week? Not for a couple of days?" Arthur asked, not wanting to answer just yet. If he was going to agree to this, he needed specificity on every single detail.
"It's because my deadline for the bidding documents of the Howard Department store is on Friday. Given how Saito is, I'm pretty sure I'll be spending most of my week at work," Ari explained.
Well that's true.
"I don't think I'll be able to monitor Ted for the week as much as I want. But your workload isn't that heavy this week, so I figured it'd be safer for him to room with you in the meantime," Ari continued. "Besides, you're the only one I trust with keeping Ted's secret, well, a secret."
Arthur just gave them the most stoic stare he could. "You're not giving me much of a choice, are you?"
"Well, you could always say no," Ted said with a sheepish smile. "But we'll be forever be indebted to you if you did say yes," he added.
Oh great. Guilt-trip me then!
Arthur continued staring at them before finally sighing, "Fine. Just one week, and not a day more!"
Ari shrieked as she rushed towards Arthur and gave him a really tight hug. Arthur was so taken aback by the force that he stumbled backwards in the process. He could see Ted just giving him a really big smile.
"Okay, I'm going to get the bags from the car!" Ari said as she rushed out of the apartment.
"Unbelievable," Arthur said as he shook his head. "You guys brought clothes already without even asking me first?" he asked Ted, annoyed and amused at the same time.
"Well Ari said that you wouldn't really object," Ted answered as he gave a nervous laugh.
Arthur just rolled his eyes in response.
"Anyway, Arthur…" Ted said as he placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "You have no idea how this means to me. Really. And you can expect me on my best behavior. I promise not to make any trouble. Eames, on the other hand, well… I can't really speak for him."
"It's fine Ted," Arthur said. "Just take note that I do plan on collecting your debt in future for this stunt," he added as he stared right into Ted's eyes just to give the impression that he wasn't joking in the slightest.
"Oh, I'll be offended if you didn't!" Ted laughed. "I really should help Ari with those bags. But Arthur, really… thanks again," he said as he disappeared through the front door to help his fiancé.
Arthur let out a huge pent-up sigh as he contemplated on having to live with Ted and Eames for an entire week.
Okay… It's definitely official: the universe hates me.
-0-0-
So I crawl back into your open arms
Yes, I crawl back into your open arms
So I crawl back into your open arms
Yes, I crawl back into your open arms