Authors Note:

Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter. They all made me smile!

I hope you like this one too!

Thank you!

Chapter 10

With every step she took, she became increasingly more nervous. Her stomach began to churn as her bare feet touched the sand beneath her. The only fact that was making her even more anxious was the fact that she didn't know which to be more nervous about; her wound being covered with salt water or the fact that she was about to go swimming with Dom again. But this time, she knew it was different.

She was holding one folded towel in her hands, and the other she had wrapped around her humble body frame. She was aware of the fact that she did not have the most curvaceous body possible, but she had to make do with what she was given.

Beneath the towel, she had decided on a black halter swim top and a black bikini bottom. It was not something that bared an extreme amount of skin, but for her anyway, it was enough.

She smiled as she saw Cobb's exposed back. Thankfully his eyes were not facing hers yet. She quickly glanced at the towel and then at him. "Hey" she insinuated, throwing the towel at his back gently.

Dom turned his head around, holding in a chuckle as he picked up the towel in his hands and asked "How did you know that I wouldn't have imagined one myself?" He stood up, his black swim trunks suddenly standing out against his bare legs.

"I just know these things." Ariadne replied, looking up at his face. 'Not his body' she kept telling herself. He looked like a man. Every boy she had ever kissed or touched had not looked anything like he did. Then again, she had never kissed Cobb.

"How do you know?" He asked, his eyebrows slightly raised. If he had to be honest, he was completely interested. Ariadne knew a lot about him. It put a petite smile on his lips.

Ariadne took the moment to remove her own towel from her body. It fell to the sand and she tried to look busy, pushing out its corners as she answered "I just know."

Cobb bit down on his bottom lip as he watched her struggle with the towel. Well, he was more watching her than the towel. It was the bathing suit's fault, not his eyes. He chuckled and said, stating the complete obvious "We match."

Ariadne raised herself up again and nodded, briefly looking down at his swimming trunks. "Yes, we do." There was silence. She couldn't help but realize how awkward those few seconds were. But she broke the silence by pointing to the ocean and saying "Shall we heal?"

"Ladies first-" Dom smirked, knowing that Ariadne would never go into that water before him.

"Fine." She smiled at him and moved towards the ocean. The water was cool but it was pleasant because the afternoon sun had warmed it up quite nicely. "Well, here goes nothing." She breathed out, mainly to herself but loud enough for Cobb to hear. She held her breath and softly threw her body into the water, the salt pouring into her wound.

Dom watched her with wide eyes. He thought that Ariadne would have never done that in a thousand years without his help. He narrowed his eyes to her and placed his wounded hand into the water first, letting the pain hit it mildly. He took a breath and got himself ready to place his entire body into the water.

"Need some help?" Ariadne asked, her knees on the ocean floor, a few metres away from him.

He shook his head, while chuckling. Perhaps he didn't know as much about Ariadne as she knew about him. The fact bothered him for a second. Maybe he should get to know her a bit more. He inhaled and dived into the water. The cool water hitting his body.

Ariadne watched the brim of the shore for a few seconds. 'Why had he not-?' She was getting worried. "Dom?" She called out, walking towards the area where he had dived into.

"Right here." His voice came from behind her and she sighed in relief. She turned around to face him, but she underestimated the distance between them and as she turned, her hand smacked him in the face.

"I'm so sorry." She gasped as he rubbed his right cheek with his palm.

He had a sly grin on his mouth as he shook his head at her. "So, you are accident prone?" He asked her with a laugh, apparently taking a necessary step back from her.

"Only here, clearly." She groaned at her own stupidity but he laughed at her reaction to the question.

"Tell me more." He leaned back, floating on his back as he put out the request.

"More?" She asked, moving slightly closer to him. She was trying to ignore the burning pain her cut was giving her and tried to focus on him. "More what?"

A playful smile tugged on his lips, his body still floating in the water as he explained "Tell me more about yourself."

She stared at him for a moment in a confused manner. What did he want to know? "Well, what do you want to know?"

He stopped floating and positioned his body back into the water. He bit down on his bottom lip and said "Tell me, why do you want to become an architect?"

"Well-" she started, the small waves crashing around her, "Creation fasicinates me."

"Then you've chosen the correct profession." Cobb laughed lightly and swam around in the water, slowly. His hand still getting used to the salt. He thought for a moment and decided on the next question to ask her. "Why Paris?"

"Why the unfathomable amount of questions?" Ariadne asked, her tone teasing him.

His eyebrows knitted in that moment, as he said in a firm but joking tenor "It gets annoying, doesn't it?"

Her lips parted in a slightly 'o' as she took a deep breath in and then whispered "Touche."

He laughed at her choice of word and then raised himself onto his feet. Ariadne tried to hold her gaze at only his face but she couldn't help but look at his body. It was wet for heavens sakes. She wasn't a nun.

"Leaving already?" She asked, her voice low.

He felt so tempted to ask 'why? do you miss me already?' But the sentence seemed too inappropriate to him. She would get the wrong impression from him. He had not suggested that they swim together so that he could flirt with her. It was strictly for medical reasoning only. Right?

"My hand just needs a break" he sighed, moving his hand around in the cool breeze.

Ariadne nodded understanding. But yet, she didn't. Was Cobb's capacity for pain less than hers? Her stomach had been practically cut open and yet he was the one complaining about a few small cuts on his knuckles. She decided that she felt brave enough to tease him about it "And yet, here I am, still in the water."

Dom rolled his eyes at her, trying to keep a restraint on the smile that was begging to peek on his lips. She continued in a light voice "I've seen you face dozens of military trained projections and yet you are terrified of a little salt water." She tisked at him, the smile on his lips pleading to let it be shown.

"You have no idea what I am capable of, Ariadne." Cobb focused his eyes on her. His eyes rolling shortly down her body as she started to float on her back; like he had a few moments ago.

"What does that have to do with salt water?" She asked, her eyes closing from the sentiment of feeling extreme relaxation.

"Everything." He shouted and splashed the salty water on her stomach from afar. Some of it hit her face and she gasped, repositioning herself back onto her feet on the ocean floor.

"I cannot believe you just did that." She rubbed her eyes, the salt water slightly burning them.

He tilted his head to the side and said "You've followed me down into Limbo, practically risking your sanity, and yet, you are afraid of a little salt water." He teased her, repeating the basic premise of what her statement from before.

"Dom, my eyes are burning." She closed her eyes tightly, rubbing them with her hands.

"Oh shit." He muttered, walking over to her and falling to his knees as she had so previously. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hur-" and before he could finish, Ariadne had splashed him back in the face. A laugh escaping her mouth.

He opened his eyes to look at her, displeased that he had fallen for the oldest trick in the book: fake an injury and get revenge on your opponent. "Really, Ari? You want to play this game?"

"I'm not playing a game, Dom. I was just trying to prove my point." She giggled, as he maneuvered a quick hand through his hair.

"Is that so?" His voice was calm as he asked "And what point is that?"

"That I have a higher tolerance to pain than you do." She smiled at him briefly. He looked like he was in deep thought.

"Well-" he stopped himself from speaking and asked "So, you want to continue swimming? Do you?" She nodded in return, a smirk on his mouth as he whispered "then that's too bad, isn't it?" What he did next, shocked her.

He grabbed her small body into his arms, her stomach bending over one of his shoulders. It was definitely not his wounded one, since he ran out of the water and dropped her onto the sand. She rolled her eyes at him, as he dropped himself on the sand next to her. She breathed out "Please, that is completely unfair. Using your strength as an advantage" she sighed briefly.

"All is fair in love and war." He quoted, resting his head on his elbow as he looked over at her. She immediately stopped laughing and got caught up in the moment. They were laying down on the sand together, side by side. He was so close to her it was painful.

"So, tell me. Why Paris?" He asked, remembering his question from before.

"Because I won a scholarship to my College and because well- it is probably the most beautiful city on Earth. " She paused and looked over at him. He was right next to her. Why was he so close?

"And well, it was fate." She smiled at him before explaining "I flipped a coin between Paris and Rome. Pairs won three out of three times and so, I decided on it." She breathed out and continued "Fate."

"Fate?" Dom asked, his eyebrows up as he continued "You don't really believe that, do you?"

"What? It's not like I'm talking about the Easter Bunny. Of course I believe in fate. Don't you?"

He shook his head and she pushed at his shoulder with a finger, saying "Stubborn Ariadne is asking you to explain."

He laughed at the phrase and then took a deep breath in and explained "Life is just a serious of events that link to each other. Nothing is set in stone. That's all just fairy tales."

She shook her head at him and laughed, watching his blue eyes sink into hers. "No." She muttered and then continued "Explain this to me then." She took a deep breath in and spoke lightly "I wasn't supposed to be at the College that day when you were there asking for an Architect. I was invited to a classmates twenty first birthday. But I was there because I felt like going to the library that afternoon."

"Yeah but-"

"Yeah but, what if I hadn't went to the library? What if I decided to start getting ready for the party? What if I had decided to stop for lunch before going to library?" She paused and said "It was meant to be. Me meeting all of you, you introducing me to this world. Everything happens for a reason, Dom."

She met his gaze for a second and for the first time in a long time, she couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was just there, his eyes on hers, lost in thought. He took a deep breath and whispered lowly "I just can't allow myself to believe that."

"Why not?" She asked, her eyes widening.

He sighed then and muttered "Because then it would be fate's fault that Mal abandoned me. But it wasn't. It was mine."

She plopped herself on her elbows and stared down at him while saying "Are you back to that idea?"

"Ariadne-" he groaned her name, as if he was annoyed by her question.

"Let me ask you this," she paused, and looked straight down into his eyes while asking "Do you want to see your children again?"

"Of course."

"Well, don't you think its fate that you will?" Her eyes were staring directly into his and he suddenly felt uncomfortable with Ariadne being so close to him.

"And how do you know that I will?" He asked, rubbing his forehead momentarily with one of his hands. All of these questions were giving him a headache.

"Because I will make sure of it." She uttered the words out bitterly. "It is your destiny to see them again, Dom. And you will one day, but until then, you have to make due with what you have. Fate and destiny is to be blamed for every tragedy that has happened but it is also to blame when it comes to every happiness that follows."

She was so passionate about the subject. It was odd to him. Maybe she had recently written a paper on it in philosophy class. He sighed and lifted himself upwards, while whispering "Well, I think that if I do see my children one day. It will be because I was able to get there. Not because it is written on some stone or some ridiculous apparition somewhere in the clouds."

She watched him walk away from her again. This time she turned her body towards his and said "You forgot your towel!"

He shook his head and walked across the sand while saying a sharp tone "I don't need it." But the way he had spoken those words, she knew that it was her that he didn't need.

xxx

It had become hours and he hadn't talked left his bedroom. Fate was a really delicate subject and the moment she had brought it up, she knew that it was only mere seconds before he would get angry with her and leave.

Once again, it had been the perfect moment. Laying down on the beach together, side by side. She was near her breaking point of sanity- but then he left again. And this time, she could tell that he didn't want to speak to her.

She had bumped into him on her way to the bathroom. She had wanted to take a shower to rid of the salt that was burning her skin. She had even made a joke to him about how maybe she was the one that had a lower tolerance of pain. But he had not even cracked a smile. He just shrugged his shoulders at her and brushed past her, as if she didn't exist.

It was hurting her deeply and with every second, she could feel a deep pain twisting in her heart. She needed to fix things between them. Or else, what was the point in staying? They were only at this beach house waiting for her to heal. Even with that thought in mind. She didn't want things to end between them like this. Maybe she could get him to smile once before she told him her decision.

xxx

"Dom?" She asked, knocking on the door for the second time. "Please, let me come in." She knocked again, getting slightly impatient with him. "Don't act like such a child!" She was shouting at the closed door, when it finally unlocked.

His eyes were wide with furry. "A child?" He asked as if the statement was ridiculous. "I'm the child?" He was not yet yelling but his tone was harsh. "Ariadne, you are the only child here."

She scoffed at his statement, walked into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her. He had changed into regular clothing like she had. And once again they matched. She rolled her eyes at him and said "I don't understand you."

He snickered at the remark and said bitterly "But I thought you knew everything about me, Ariadne."

"I never said that, Dom." She watched him walk towards the window of the room. Why in hell was he acting this way?

"My name is Cobb." He turned to face her, his eyes pulsing. He had just spent the last several hours debating whether or not this needed to be done. He had finally come to the conclusion that it was mandatory.

"What is wrong. Dom?" She walked towards him, her heart in a flutter of pain. Not butterflies. She was in a severe pain because she could tell that he was trying to hold in tears.

"It's not right, Ariadne." He spoke again, this time more softly but the words still came out strong.

"What? Fate?" She asked, placing her soft hands on his shoulders "I don't care if you believe me or not. I just don't want you to be angry with me."

She was being honest, he could tell. It was hurting him to do this to her. But it just had to be done. He knew that he had feelings for her and on the beach a few hours back, he had fought every urge in his body not to kiss her. It was better for her to hate him, then to have her as a friend and never as anything else. How in hell could they ever work out? Even the thought of it was plain idiotic.

"But I am angry, Ariadne." He lied through his teeth, practically throwing her hands off him. He was angry. He was angry at himself for letting it come to this point. He should not have any feelings for her. He shouldn't feel this way about anyone. Anyone except Mal.

"Please, Dom. Just let me help you." She was pleading with him, her small hand reaching out to grab his.

"No." He pulled his hand away from hers swiftly.

She held in small tears and whispered "Fine."

She took a few steps towards the door way before he spoke "I'm sorry."

She turned around to face him and asked "For what?"

He walked towards her, his pupils dilating as he screamed "I'm sorry that I am not as perfect as you!" He paused as he watched her eyes widen in shock "I'm sorry that I don't believe what you believe!"

She held back small tears and asked softly "What is the matter with you?"

He bit down on his bottom lip, turned around and replied "Just forget it."

In that instant, she grabbed his hand and said "No, you have to-" he struggled away from her grasp on him, but when she wrapped her arms around him. His body didn't want to move from her hold.

"Dom. It's fine." She whispered to him, holding him tightly in her arms. If he wanted to talk about Mal, he should be able to. He didn't have to keep it in. "Please, just tell me-" she gulped and cupped his cheeks in her hands while whispering "Just talk to me about her."

His eyebrows raised but before he had time to process the plea, she continued "I'm here, Dom." He stopped touching his cheeks, her hands falling by her sides. "I'll listen."

He looked into her brown eyes, his heart beating so loud he could hear the echo in his ears. Why was she so caring? Why was she being so generous after he had insulted her? Why in hell was she still so goddamn stubborn?

"Please, Dom." She tried on her best smile and took both of his hands in his. She rubbed his palms with her thumbs while he just stared down at her. "Just tell me what's on your mind."

"I'd rather show you." He breathed out quickly. The phrase falling off his tongue as he pushed her hands away from his and grabbed her face, kissing her passionately.

He grabbed at her back, parting her lips with his tongue. She moaned in the moment, suddenly hoping that this was 'real' in the most possible way Limbo could be. She wrapped her own arms around him, pushing her own tongue into his mouth.

He tugged at her blouse, suddenly raising his fingers up her bare back and back to her front. She could not believe that this was happening. It was surreal. He was kissing her. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she decided that it was her time to please him.

She let her lips fall off of his and she guided her tongue up his neck, sliding it slowly up towards his earlobe. He let out a soft moan and forcefully pushed his lips onto hers again. Her hands found their way to the front of his pants, grazing his waist line with her fingertips. "Ariadne" his voice rasped. His own hands falling to her own pants.

His eyes widened. This was Ariadne that he was kissing. Ariadne, the young and innocent and pure Ariadne. It was not right. He pushed her away quickly and shook his head while saying "We can't do this."

She was shocked. Had they not been insanely attracted to each other just moments ago? What changed? "Dom?" She asked, watching him walk towards the door.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, opening the door to his own bedroom and walking out of it.

Authors Note:

I hope I surprised some of you with that kiss and then surprised you again when he suddenly stopped it LOL

Anyway, thank you so much for reading.

Please Review!