8.

~ "So." Arthur said finally breaking the silence that was weighing on the both of them. The air felt too crowded and thick with tension. "You were spying on my dreams." he accused.

"No, not spying." Ariadne said feeling defensive. He made it sound like she was the one who had done something crude and obscene.

"What I dream about is my own personal business. It's not for you to..." He waved his hand and looked at her in exasperated anger. His face turned into a scowl that made her feel like she had committed some horrible sin.

"I... I was just curious what-" She tried to explain herself.

"You had no right." He said finally. His voice like steel.
"I had no right? You were dreaming of having kids with me and having sex with me. How do I have no right?" She said feeling her own anger boil up.

"Everyone is entitled to have a fantasy life." He said standing his ground. "It's not for you to invade that."

"It was about me." She said.

"It doesn't matter. It didn't mean anything." He said shaking his head.

The look that shadowed his face then showed he regretted saying that.
"Well, then why me? Why not some actress or model? And why did you make my breasts so big?" She said remembering the way her projection looked.
"That's what your most upset about?" He almost laughed. He tried to cover a smile on his face.
"Alright, fine. I would think after two kids you wouldn't be a size zero and I wanted the dream to feel real." He said simply. Ariadne nodded.

'That made sense.' she thought.

"Why me?" She asked. Her voice faltering.
"You were the only woman I've been around lately." Arthur said trying to sound nonchalant. "I'm sure lots of men fantasize about... attractive female co-workers." He said.

"So, because I'm the only girl on the Team, it's natural you would dream about me like that." Ariadne said feeling hurt. "I hardly think having a family is the typical sex dream." Ariadne said squaring her shoulders and throwing that bit of truth in his face.

"Alright enough!" Arthur fumed growing angry. "Why did you kill the projection and pose as her? Why did you stay in the dream and have sex with me?" He asked. His voice biting and gruff.

She was at a loss for words as she felt her face burn. She was hoping against hope Arthur would not bring that up. A futile hope but one she had held onto none the less.

"I... I don't know." She answered feebly.

"No. You know why." He said not accepting her answer. He moved to her in one easy stride. His face barely an inch from hers. His voice a ragged whisper. "Tell me why you came to me, and was naked with me, and made love with me." He demanded.

"No." She said firmly. Her arms folding over her chest. Her body instinctively creating a barrier between them. She looked down at her feet as she waited for the heat to leave her cheeks.

She could hear him breathing hard as he waited for an answer she didn't know how to give. He was so close to her she could smell the heavenly smell of his aftershave and lotions.

"Your not going to tell me?" He asked. His voice softer. She shook her head and blinked back tears.
"I'm sorry." She said finally.

She saw his hand reaching for hers. She relaxed her arms and snaked her hand free. Grasping his fingers in hers. Arthur was pulling her into his arms and she let him.
"I'm sorry." She whispered as tears fell out of her eyes. "I don't think you would be dreaming of me. Of us. I should have just left but..." She confessed as he was running a hand over her back. Soothing her.

"I'm sorry to." He said. "I didn't mean it, what I said before. About you just being a co-worker. About it not meaning anything." He said.

"I don't know why I stayed." She whispered. Half afraid of her admission. "I just... I was going to see how far you were going to take things. Then I didn't want to stop." She said finally.

For a long time, they stood there. Neither one of them saying a word as his hand rubbed her back in comforting circles.

"Why did you dream about us having a family?" She asked. Her voice sounding tired.

Arthur tensed. She had finally asked the question he had been dreading and didn't know how to answer. He took a deep breath and exhaled.
"I've always been jealous of Cobb and his children." He admitted. "I just wanted to feel what it was like."

"Why me? I mean really, why me and not someone else?" She asked. Her face pressed against his chest as she felt sedated and almost content.

"I..." He said and then sighed. "I guess because I think it would be nice. To be married to you. Have children with you. I happen to think you would make a good mother."

"How long have you been thinking about all of this?" She asked. He smiled.

"I don't want to answer that." He said honestly.

He was kissing her then. Kissing away the tears on her face. His hands running thought her hair as his body was soon over hers.

Down onto the narrow little bunk bed the Point Man had the Architect laid out and under him.

Her body relaxing as he was kissing her. Their hands and fingers lacing together as his body moved in time with hers.