Title: The Seducing of the Point Man

Chapter: 3

Author:ThePointGirl

Fandom: Inception

Pairing:Arthur & Eames (as you know)

Disclaimer: Chris Nolan owns Inception along with the characters and the sets.

A Way to a Man's Heart is Relaxation

Arthur woke the next day with sharp pain in his shoulder blades and neck. He dressed slowly, the ache increasing. He must have slept in an awkward position last night. Eating breakfast at the hotel he brought his left hand up to rub at the dull ache that just refused to stop. He was asked whether he was okay by a waitress. His blackberry showed no new messages from the team. At the warehouse he put his jacket down and began to work. He didn't notice Cobb come behind him. His head snapped back in shock and he cursed, loudly.

"Shit! Ouch" he exclaimed, he felt a burning behind his eyes.

"Arthur are you alright?"

"You made me jump"

"I can see that. What's the matter with your neck?" Cobb asked looked concerned.

"Um – I slept funny I think. It hurts every time I moved suddenly" Arthur made a noise – like a whimper – but disguised it.

"You can take the day off – have a rest" Cobb said slowly.

"It's fine seriously" and he returned stubbornly to his work. He would rather be working then at the hotel doing nothing. He could cope. Besides, it was only a neck ache, it would go away eventually. Just needed patience – something he always said to Eames. He realised.

"Where's Eames?" he asked to no one in particular.

"He's with Saito, think they're at Browns" Ariadne commented, she was reading a book about Theory's of Contemporary Art and Religion. Arthur knew that that was posh hotel where Saito dined once in a while.

"Oh" Arthur said, when rubbing his neck once again he asked: "where's Yusuf?" and Ariadne pointed behind her in the smaller room which was Yusuf's mini lab. The said man came out and examined a bottle in his hand in the light. It looked like the same thing Arthur had seen him with the other day.

"Hello Arthur. Are you okay?" he asked as Arthur let out an uncomfortable noise.

"He slept funny, and so now he's got a neck ache" Cobb said simply. If Eames was here he would make a joke on how Cobb knew that.

"Oh do you want to try my version of an anti depressant – it will"

"No!" Arthur exclaimed. Feeling rude he added: "It's not that bad thanks, Yusuf. Thanks for the offer but there is no need" he didn't want to be a guinea pig for testing, not again anyhow.

"Oh well, if it gets worse, you know where I am eh" Yusuf then said something to himself and went back into the room.

Arthur got more and more annoyed at himself, because writing was becoming more difficult as the pain grew along his shoulder and his hand momentarily seized up. Slamming the pen on the table he ran a hand through his hair. The sun blared through the windows of the warehouse and Arthur thought about accepting Yusuf's offer of the anti depressant. The door opened and in waltzed Eames with Saito, laughing and generally looking content. Arthur noted that this had been the second time Eames had come in after himself.

"Mr Arthur, you have done a lot of work as usual. How are you?" Saito asked standing at his desk with a warm smile.

"I'm okay, thank you Saito. Yourself?"

"Ah me and Mr Eames have been discussing politics"

At that Arthur had to laugh.

"Eames and politics? Was this world domination by any chance?"

"Oh don't be judgemental darling" Eames sat on his desk with a smile. Saito laughed and was greeted and stolen by Cobb. "What's wrong?" Eames asked as Arthur picked up his pen, put it down because his hand was shaking.

"My neck and now arm hurts. I slept funny, it won't go away" he grumbled.

"Hey" Eames said softly and it went straight through him. Eames got off the desk and pushed the pen out of his reach. "Where abouts does it hurt?"

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked uselessly. He felt hot palms on his shoulders and he tensed up.

"Hey!" this was more accusing. "Calm down. Now, does this hurt?" and Arthur's eyes squinted as feeling spread through his back, he arched away.

"Yeah" he breathed.

"Right you've got a muscles stretched or twisted by your shoulder blades" Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"How do you know that?"

"Because darling, when I was at school I looked up every different injury you could get so as to skip classes" Eames said, and Arthur could feel the smirk. He liked the feel of Eames' warm palms on him. Felt... nice.

Eames began to slowly put pressure on the back of his neck, and massage between the muscle and bone. Arthur closed his eyes and hummed.

"How exactly did you do this?" Eames asked softly.

"Slefpt funny" Arthur blinked "Slept funny" he repaired the sentence. "Why are you doing this Eames?"

"So I don't have to be delegated work by Cobb" Eames replied, after a pause "because I don't like you all tense and angry. It's not a good sight on such a lovely face" and Arthur chuckled, the movement rippling through his body. "Now, lift your head up, slowly" and he did as he was instructed. Expecting pain he was surprised when he felt none. Eames' hands still carried on and he didn't want to get back to work now. His breathing was even, but it hitched when Eames ran a finger down his spine. He arched. No pain.

"Hurt darling?" and he shook his head. Then Eames' hands disappeared and Arthur made a noise. Then he heard the scraping of a chair and Eames sat down next to him taking his left hand in his palms. Any slight idea of working was eliminated from his head. He contemplated the theory he was dreaming because everyone else was doing their own thing. Not taking any notice of him and Eames.

"You need these hands" Eames said and the man snickered. Arthur rolled his eyes. Remembering what Eames had said in a text Good with your hands Arthur?

"I do, you don't" he replied and they locked eyes. Arthur got lost in the feeling. How the hell was Eames so good at this? It irritated him that the man was good at making him relax... how dare he? Oh that's pathetic Arthur a voice said Your falling, falling. Stop it. Think of something else. You're not a teenage girl.

"Feel better now?" Eames whispered and Arthur nodded, a weak smile. Eames got up and pulled away slightly. That voice in his head crumbled and Arthur held on to his hand, and Eames smiled.

"Glad to be of assistance darling" Eames said and he brushed his thumb across Arthur's knuckles and let go. Arthur's arm fell onto his lap. No pain, no ache. Just the feel of Eames' touch on his arm. It made his skin tingle.

I don't know, review if you like it so far xxx