Ugh! I am so sorry it's took me so long to get around to updating this lovelies. Work is proper kicking my considerably sized arse right now and that leads to muse coma. Anyway, now that we have Eames and Victoria being all lovey-dovey and actually pleasant to each other, let's throw in some plot-bunnies shall we? The thing about plot bunnies, is that although they are often very bad, occasionally, they can have very good outcomes! Enjoy and leave me some love...I really need it.
At 10.01 am. the front door at Cobb's was opened by Eames, who graciously allowed Victoria to enter while he held it open for her. She smiled coyly as she walked past him and lifted a hand to run along the chin that she convinced him to leave unshaven, in favor of five minutes kissing and fumbling on the bed. As their eyes met, the spark from last night flickered again and Eames let out a regretful sigh that he could not do anything about it right now. Victoria was mouthed a silent thank you and lifted her chin to steal a quick brush of their lips.
"Good morning you two! I trust you had a pleasant evening?" came Yusuf's voice came from the kitchen entrance.
Eames cleared his throat to shake of rid himself of stirrings below his belt and answered "Yes thanks mate, although I would like you to take a quick look at this", holding Victoria's bandaged hand up for inspection.
"Of course, right this way Victoria, the Doctor will see you now!" he joked. "This actually presents me with an opportunity to show you the results of the research I did yesterday, I think you'll be able to give a unique perspective on it, if you don't mind?" he asked.
"Certainly Dr Shah, lead the way" she responded, before walking over to the other man and taking his arm. She took a quick look back over her right shoulder at Eames, blew him a kiss and disappeared into the lounge with Yusuf.
Left on his own, Eames quickly adjusted the flesh between his legs, then made his way to the study to find the others. As expected, Dom was behind the desk, surveying the 3D blueprints Ariadne was holding in front of him as she stood at this side and Arthur was tip-tapping away on a laptop as he sat on the leather sofa at the side of the desk.
"Morning all!" he announced loudly to the room.
"Morning Mr Eames" Arthur said with a slight amount of snark. "I trust Victoria is well?" he continued as Dom and Aridane looked on silently.
"Absolutely Arthur darling, but I didn't think much to the quack at the ER, so good old Yusuf is giving her wound a quick look while they discuss brains and synapses and whatnot!". Eames replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Arthur was just about to add another, no doubt barbed comment, when Dom interjected. "Eames, how do you feel up to trying to forge like she does? I think that with Victoria's instruction, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly"!
"Your confidence in my abilities is, as ever, flattering Cobb...but I'm inclined to agree in this case. So yes, whenever she's ready to teach me, I'll be the enraptured student!".
Arthur snorted loudly, but was quickly shot down by an icy look from Aridane.
"It's nice to know you two are getting along well" continued Cobb calmly.
"Too well perhaps?" Arthur added quietly.
"I'm sorry Arthur, do I take it you wouldn't approve of Miss James and I undertaking a non-professional relationship?" Eames asked politely.
"No...I wouldn't. Not at the risk of it complicating the job or endangering any of us, you and Miss James included. In fact, I think it's highly unprofessional of you to enter into anything with someone you work with".
"Really Arthur? And does your wife, who you met through work, agree with your view?".
"No, she does not" interjected Aridane. "Arthur, just drop it would you?" she added towards her husband.
"That is completely different and you know it. Ariadne and I were not involved when we worked together, and knew each other for some time before anything happened between us!" Arthur said, despite his wife's plea.
"Ahhh, so prior knowledge is the basis of a solid relationship is it?" Eames asked the room. "In that case, you'll be glad to hear that Victoria and I have known each other since childhood. I didn't realize it at first, she is very much changed...but the fact remains that whatever we do, is absolutely no business of anyone other than ourselves. However, thank you for your concern Arthur, it's always good to know that one's colleague are so supportive of one's personal endeavors!" and with that, Eames bounded out of the room, before he kicked the Pointman's arse in front of his wife.
In the lounge, Victoria's face was growing red. Somewhat due to the stinging anti-disinfectant Yusuf was gently dabbing onto her hand, but mainly due to the fact that they could both hear every detail of the conversation in the study. Yusuf, ever tactful and diplomatic, said quietly "If I'm permitted, I would say that any relationship, either personal or professional, that you may have with the man can only better him...and most likely drive you to desperation...he can be infuriating at times!".
Victoria smiled as she looked in Yusuf's kind, dark eyes and replied "That's very true. You are a good man and a good friend Yusuf!".
"So is he, he just needs a good woman to remind him of that" he retorted. Victoria grimaced at his words, not sure if her actions in the past qualified her as 'a good woman'. She bit her lip as she briefly considered her life prior to that point and was broken from her thoughts by Eames blustering into the room, muttering something about 'stick in the mud' under his breath before taking the seat to her immediate side.
"We're outed then?" she asked while still looking at Yusuf.
"Yes, it would appear that we, as master forgers and deceivers, are totally transparent to our colleagues. Isn't that right my friend?" Eames replied as put his hand on Yusuf's shoulder.
"Somethings are clear even to the blind my friend!" the Chemist stated with a smile, before rising from his seat and taking himself away to retrieve his research. "I'll leave you two alone. Victoria, perhaps we can continue going over my research over lunch?". She nodded her assent with a smile and Yusuf left the room.
"Arthur's right you know!" she admitted a little dejectedly. "This...thing between us, probably will only complicate matters and my primary focus has to be my Dad. I can't fail in this Eames, it too important".
"I know that Victoria and I only want to help you get him back. If I learn from you...and learn to love you in the process, then that's just an added extra isn't it?" he said as he picked up a fresh bandage and began to wrap it around her hand. All of a sudden, Victoria couldn't catch her breath. Had he just said what she thought she'd heard?.
"Eames...David, I don't know..." she began with a furrowed brow, not knowing what to say to follow.
"Shush pet, no need to dissect my words right now, especially not in the same house as this lot of nosy Nellies. We'll talk about it later, back at your hotel. Okay?".
She nodded her head slowly in agreement, still unsure of how that discussion might go. She had a lot to think about until then.
"Dom wants you to take me through Advance Forging darling, are you ready now Miss James?" he asked with a wink.
"As I'll ever be Mr Eames! Anybody else coming in with us today?".
"All of us apart from Yusuf" came Dom's voice as he entered the room, causing Victoria and Eames to immediately shift away from each other. Ariadne and Arthur followed in his wake and the three of them took comfortable resting places around the room. As they all busied themselves getting ready, Eames spoke loudly "Victoria dearest, you really must take Arthur up to the top of that building!".
"Gladly!" she responded. Turning to the Pointman, she asked "Are you interested in learning how to take the step, Arthur?".
"No" Eames interrupted. "Don't show him that, just push him off the bloody thing would you? There's a good girl!" he added, patting her backside affectionately for all to see. Arthur wasn't surprised that Victoria started laughing at Eames comment, but he was a but miffed when Dom and his wife joined in.
"Let just get to work shall we?" he asked.
This time, they were in Arthur's subconscious and that gave Eames all sorts of wicked ideas. He kept finding excuses to be alone with Victoria, either in location or level, so he could touch her as much as possible. Mainly due to the fact that he really, really wanted to touch her. But there was the added bonus that upon waking, Arthur would recall each and every one of those furtive fondlings and cringe at them. Victoria though, had different ideas.
"Mr Eames, if you could keep your hands to yourself, we do have work to do!" she said exasperatedly as she removed his hands from her rear for about the fifth time. "We need to find one of the others to see if you can forge in front of them!" she added as she looked around for the remaining members of the team.
"Can't I just forge in front of you darling?" Eames asked as he circled her, running his hand around her waist as he did.
Victoria scoffed, the shrugged "David, you won't be able to fool me!".
"Over confidence is unattractive, you know?" he said with a wry grin on his face.
"Isn't it just?" Victoria asked sarcastically. "But I'm just stating fact. You won't be able to fool me because no matter what you look like, I'll always recognize you. I think it pheromones or something. Which means...you smell!" she added as she pointed her tongue out at him. "Now come on, don't you want to see that lovely confused look on Arthur's face when you forge Ariadne and go to kiss him?".
"Ooh goody...messing with Arthur really is entertaining. And it's high time he had a bit of payback for his comments earlier. Bring him on!" stated Eames as he strode over to where he had last spied his friend.
Entertaining it certainly was. Eames had flawlessly replicated Aridane and wrapped his arms around Arthur waist, before sending the thinner man crashing to floor in a move Eames hadn't tried since he played Rugby. The real Ariadne didn't see their horseplay, she was too busy standing next to a Cathedral she had just raised from nothing, admiring the way the stained glass windows glinted in the sun...and her own handiwork.
But Dom and Victoria had witnessed, and enjoyed, every second of Eames's trick on Arthur. As the Brit offered out his hand for the Pointman to use to bring himself upright, he was momentarily distracted by the sound of Victoria's laugh. Pleased with himself for making her happy, he turned his head to look at how breath-taking she was when she did that hair flick thing, only to stop short when he realized he wasn't the cause of her giggles. He watched as Dom leaned over to whisper something into her right ear, as she placed her hands on his shoulders to draw him in conspiratorially, as she laughed even further at whatever it was Cobb had said. He saw it all.
And for once in his life, Eames was jealous of another man.