"Do you wanna live together in Paris? I was gonna get a new place anyway and it would be nice if we were always together, don't you think?"
Ariadne suggested to Arthur that night, when they were both back in bed.
"I was actually hoping you'd say that at some point, I didn't wanna impose myself but I really don't want you to be alone."
"I appreciate the sentiment Arthur but if you're only doing this to protect me, then stop. I wanna live together because we want to, not because we're scared of what would happen if we didn't."
"Okay, you're right. I'm sorry. I'll stop with the whole protecting you thing, I know you don't like it. I just don't want anything to happen to you..."
"You do realize that that's exactly how I feel about you, right?"
Ariadne told him finally.
"I love you."
Arthur said. He tried to keep it in but couldn't it just slipped out.
"I love you too."
Ariadne said.
"You do?"
He couldn't believe it.
"Of course, you idiot."
She laughed. She knew those words meant as much to him as it meant to her but she didn't know the depth of what he had just said. He hadn't said 'I love you' to anyone since returning from war, that had been 9 years prior.
He kissed her deeply and she smiled, happy that he had said it first.
"Please don't ever leave me."
He whispered as he kissed her neck softly.
"Never."
They had only been together for a couple of days, but given the circumstances, everyone would understand their desperate state at that moment. It was true, they hadn't been together long, but they felt so strongly for each other that it was hard to imagine them ever being apart.
They spent the rest of the week at Cobb's and then they left to go to Vancouver. Ariadne wanted to show him where she grew up, just like he had shown her.
"But, why did your parents leave Italy?"
She asked as they boarded the plane.
"My mom was Italian, my dad was American, she followed him back."
Ariadne nodded, normally, she would have questioned the mental state of his mother for wanting to follow a man to another country but then she realized that she would do it for Arthur in a heartbeat.
"I grew up in this house but my great-aunt sold it because she was getting too old to take care of it so she went to and old folks home."
Ariadne said, motioning to a house. They spent a week in Canada, Ariadne taught Arthur to sky and they went to an indoor water park that over saw the mountain tops. When their plane landed in Paris, they took their luggage from baggage claim and took a cab to a realtor.
"Bonjour."
The woman smiled.
"Bonjour."
Ariadne spoke in a perfect accent.
"Qu'est-ce que je peux faire pour vous aujourd'hui?" What can I do for you today?
"On voudrait louer un appartement jusqu'à juin." We'd like to rent an apartment until June.
Ariadne continued.
"Et quel genre d'appartement voulez-vous?" What kind of place do you want?
"Pas trop grand, une chambre, un bureau et un espace ouvert pour le salon et la cuisine." Not too big, one bedroom, an office and an open space for the living room and the kitchen.
Arthur stepped in, his accent less perfect than Ariadne's but still good. Later that day, they were signing the paper work and the place was officially theirs, Arthur was amazed that they could do it all on such short notice. They moved a couple of things from Ariadne's old place and slept there that night.
"Good morning."
"Hi."
Ariadne smiled.
"I'm starting school again in two days, I'm gonna have so much catching up to do."
Her smile fell.
"You're gonna do great."
Arthur assured her.
"What are you gonna do while I'm at school?"
"I don't know, look around, I've been to Paris, well I was here with you last time, but I never really got to explore..."
"Right. I'm gonna have a lot of studying to do, there'll be books everywhere, so you might not wanna be around me for a couple of weeks."
"Are you crazy? I'm gonna help you study! It's gonna be so much fun."
Arthur said, clearly too excited for study sessions. Ariadne made a face.
"What?"
"You're funny. Why aren't you like this on jobs?"
"Okay, first of all, you've only seen me on one job, and second, I have to be professional on jobs, or people die."
Ariadne nodded, thinking that it was better to keep his happy and fun side for her anyway.
"Do you wanna go get dinner?"
Arthur asked.
"Oh, I'd love to, but I have to get my things organized or I'll never have the time."
"That's fine, go get take out, I'll start for you."
Arthur declared.
"But how will you know how to organize my things?"
"I have a hunch for this sort of thing, just trust me."
He smiled and she left. By the time she got back, he had emptied at least half the boxes and the office was starting to look very nice with all her books.
"Wow, you work fast."
Ariadne said, gawking at his handiwork.
"So you like it?"
"It's great, Arthur. Although, I have to admit, I thought the office was for you."
"Of course it's not for me, I don't need one as long as we're here. It's for you, for school stuff."
"Thank you."
Ariadne told him sincerely.
"Let's go eat."
Arthur said. The following months went by like a blur, Ariadne was always in school or at home, studying with the help of Arthur. Only one person met him, her classmate Joséphine that she brought home once to finish a group project. When she had said: 'Oh mon dieu, your boyfriend is so hot' in her seducing french accent, Ariadne had decided she wouldn't bring people over anymore. The Apartment never really felt like a home to either of them, so when Ariadne graduated, passing with flying colours of course, they moved their stuff to Italy. At that point, they had been together for 6 months.
"Ariadne, do you wanna get married?"
"Arthur Lewis, if you're proposing to me while we're naked in our bed, I swear to god, I'm leaving you."
"No, I'm not proposing. I was just wondering."
"Then yeah, I wanna get married. Some time in the future."
"Near or far future?"
"Geez, Arthur, I don't know. When you ask me, I'll say yes and then we'll get married, how's that?"
"Perfect."
Arthur smiled. They were in bliss, and they weren't even in the honeymoon phase anymore, that's just how they felt together. Arthur was running his hands through Ariadne's hair when the phone rang, interrupting their peaceful alone time.
"Hello."
Arthur said into the receiver. He quickly slid underwear on and got out of bed as Ariadne sat up, wrapping the sheet around her chest.
"Hey Arthur, it's Eames."
"Eames? Why are you calling me?"
"I'm actually calling to offer you a job."
"Shouldn't you be doing this in person?"
"I would if I knew where to find you. You're terribly hard to find, darling."
His thick english accent retorted. Arthur winced at the nickname and gave him the name of a restaurant that was two hours away from their house.
"Why did Eames call?"
"He wants to offer me a job. We're meeting tomorrow at a restaurant so he can tell me all about it."
"And I'm going with you."
Ariadne added.
"Please don't you took the first one very badly, I don't want you to go through that again."
"You told me I reacted normally, it was a big challenge and I did good, great even. No, this is not negotiable, I'm going with you."
Arthur sighed and nodded, defeated.
"If you really want to work in that again, fine but please, please, I'm begging you, only do jobs with me."
"Will you do the same for me?"
"If it means you'll do it then yes."
"Alright, then, let's be partners in crime. Now come back to bed."
Ariadne concluded. Arthur smiled and slid back under the covers.
"I love you so much."
"I love you too."
He responded.