Title: how hard the wind was blowing that day

Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Ruark

Warnings: mentions of violence

Pairings: Arthur/Eames

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 360

Point of view: third

Prompt: any, any/any, you don't need to agree with your partner about the things you love when you simply coincide in the things you both hate


In the beginning, Arthur was a soldier betrayed by his country and Eames was a thief betrayed by his employer.

It wasn't so much them liking each other as wanting to kill everyone else.

.

Arthur saves Eames' life on his way into hiding. It was an accident more than anything else, but Eames is loyal when given a reason to be.

And at the moment? When an American soldier takes time out of his busy schedule to put a bullet into the brain of the killer-for-hire about to put a bullet into Eames' brain?

Well, everyone else in the world has turned on Eames, so he turns on them right back and follows Arthur.

.

It's three years before Eames introduces Arthur to Mal. By that point in time, Eames and Arthur have spent thirty-five of the past thirty-six months arguing, half of it fucking, and a lot of it training so they can cover each other's weak spots.

They didn't get along at all in the beginning, with Arthur considering just killing Eames most of the time, and Eames wondering if the protection was worth the aggravation.

But. When they're not fighting, Eames makes Arthur laugh like no one else ever has. And Arthur manages what Eames' father never did – teaches Eames to kick ass.

.

When Mal dies and Arthur goes with Dom to protect the father of Mal's children, Eames goes into a form of hiding.

The rest of the world can't find him, but Arthur always can.

.

No one ever believes the story of how they met.

Of course, every version they tell is a lie.

No one ever believes they're anything more than colleagues who can work together for a common goal, either.

And they've never hated each other, even back in the beginning, when Arthur asked daily why the fuck he'd even bothered to save Eames' life.

Every time Arthur muffles his laughter at Eames' joke or comment or snark, Eames knows it's Arthur's way of saying, I'm glad I killed that fucker that day.

And every time Eames says something sarcastic about Arthur's ideas, Arthur knows it's Eames' way of saying, I'll follow you anywhere.