"Arthur! And Ariadne?"
Eames exclaimed, confused to see the young woman trailing behind.
"Yeah, hey Eames."
Ariadne smiled and went over to hug him. Arthur tried his best to ignore the burning in his stomach as Eames brought a hand to the small of her back.
"So what's the job?"
Arthur asked, desperately trying to get the english man off of his architect.
"Simple enough, an extraction. We have to find out where this European billionaire is planning to put his next factory, rather boring if you ask me, but enough to get us back into the game."
"Seems that way."
Arthur declared.
"So you'll do it then?"
Eames asked. Arthur and Ariadne looked at each other.
"We'll do it."
Ariadne said for the both of them.
"Now darling, tell me why you and our precious little architect are together so long after the job."
Eames said with a mischievous grin when Ariadne left to get drinks from the bar.
"Knowing you, it's probably not what you're thinking, but on the off chance that it is, why don't you humour me and tell me what you're thinking."
"I think this job is not the only thing you'll be doing on this trip."
"God Eames, really?"
"Am I wrong?"
"I don't know but I'm leaving. Come on Ari, he's pissed me off."
Arthur said, intercepting Ariadne halfway between their table and the bar.
"I'll see you tomorrow at the airport, Darling! Bright and early!"
Eames called as they walked out of the restaurant.
"What did he say?"
Ariadne asked once they were back at the house
"Nothing worth repeating."
"Well, something must be if you're this upset."
"He just said something really inappropriate."
"Are you really surprised, it's Eames."
"I guess not."
"Just tell me what he said."
Ariadne asked again.
"He said that the job wouldn't be the only thing I would be doing on the trip."
Arthur could not decipher the look on Ariadne's face until she doubled over laughing.
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
She said.
"I mean, he's not wrong."
She continued. They both laughed. The following day, they went to the airport and the next three weeks were spent on the job.
Ariadne was in the dream, her hand tightly clasped in Arthur's as they ran when she woke up. The only problem was, she wasn't supposed to wake up. She looked around the private train wagon they were in and gasped as she saw the men in suits that had situated themselves at the door.
Bodyguards.
She thought. They had their backs to her so it was easy for her to slip off her shoes and walk silently over to them. She easily knocked out the first one with a simple neck trick but then the second one turned around. She started to run towards Arthur, to pull out the needle in his arm but he grabbed her waist and she flew to the ground. She struggled to reach up but could only manage to get to Arthur's foot. She wiggled to get some free space and dragged herself towards Arthur. The man wrapped his calloused hands around her throat and blocked the airway.
"Arthur."
She gasped. Her lips started to turn an unhealthy colour just as she managed to pull the tube away from Arthur. She didn't even see him wake up, in truth, all she saw were stars and then black.
She was slightly aware of being carried for a couple of seconds. When she woke up fully, she bolted upright.
"Ari, it's okay."
Arthur whispered from her side. She looked around, they were in their hotel room, she was lying on Arthur who was leaning on the headboard. He wrapped his arms around her and she breathed in his shoulder.
"What happened?"
She asked, her voice a strained mess.
"After you woke up, we were all confused as hell and then I woke up and saw that bastard picking you up to carry you out, I guess so I woke up Eames and he knocked him out while I carried you out of there. What happened to you, Ari?"
"I um, I woke up but you guys were still asleep. I looked around and there were bodyguards at the door so I knocked out the first one but the second one got me and-"
"It's okay, don't strain your voice."
He interrupted as she started to struggle with her breath.
"Did you finish the job?"
"Yeah, everything went well."
He told her. She nodded and leaned further into him.
They did four more jobs that year.
"Ari?"
Arthur called from his spot on the balcony of their hotel room. They were all dressed up and ready to go to the gala that the mark was hosting. Arthur was in a black three piece with a deep red tie and Ariadne wore a matching red dress that had a nice retro forties vibe. Her hair was in a braid bun.
"Yeah?"
She said, slipping her black shoes on.
"Will you come out here please?"
"Sure."
She walked out the french doors and the cool air hit her skin.
"You look breathtaking."
He breathed.
"Thank you, you look very handsome."
"I have something I want to ask you, and I want you to think about it very carefully."
"Okay..."
"Ari, the past year was the best of my life and not because of the abundance of jobs, because of you. I wanna spend the rest of my years with you and only you. I love you so much sometimes it hurts, and when I see you I feel like my heart is gonna stop. You never cease to impress me with your incredible skills. You always take my breath away when you walk in the room. Will you marry me, Ari?"
He said, not even getting down on one knee, but walking closer to her instead.
"Yes, of course."
She whispered. He smiled into her neck and she could feel him slide the ring on her finger. She didn't need to look at it to know.
"It's beautiful."
She told him.
"It was my grandma's, she passed it down to me to give to my wife."
They stayed in their messy but beautiful embrace.
"You can't wear it though."
Arthur sighed.
"What? Why not?"
"No one can know we're engaged, no one out of the group, they could use it as leverage."
"Oh."
She said, disappointed. She turned her head to face him and finally saw the look in his watery eyes. She wanted to kiss him so badly, but she couldn't, the deep red lipstick on her lips, a barrier she now hated, kept her from his lips.
"But I got you this, so you can wear it, just not on your finger."
He pushed a small box in her hand and she opened it, revealing a delicate gold chain, matching the ring. Ariadne instantly brightened up and slid the ring on the chain, she attached it to the back of her neck. The ring fell much lower than her locket and she put it inside her dress.
"I love you."
She said, looking back up at her fiancé.
"I love you too."