Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations they find themselves in. Everything else belongs to someone else and its staying that way, unfortunately. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think!
Eames's Pick Up
"And you promise to never, ever leave me again, right? I don't think I can handle it if you left me again. You can't begin to imagine the pain and agony I suffered before. No, I mean it! I could hardly drag my arse out of bed afterwards, it was so bad. Like just after the accident bad. You're the only one I trust with my body at this point, and I don't think I can-"
"Eames. I promise. You were assigned to me, remember?" Chris's lips twitched with amusement, which Eames didn't think was fair given that this was no laughing matter. "Calm down."
He was prepared to believe Chris would be a man of his word, but Eames needed to make sure. "And I never have to see Corey again?"
"Since Corey works here there is a chance you'll see him, Eames. But he is not your therapist. I am. And I've already talked to your mother and to Michelle about the fact that you don't want anyone but me working with you. You've made that very clear."
"Michelle's the devil too."
Lips twitching that much more, Chris didn't disagree. Which just went to prove that he was smart therapist to Corey's very dumb one.
And telling himself that they were both too old to pinky swear on the deal, more the pity, Eames settled for promising Chris that he would do his at home exercises as ordered. So long as Chris was the one assigning them to him. Otherwise he wouldn't, and wouldn't that be a shame?
"I'm getting the feeling that if I want my patients to be more cooperative I should just assign them to someone else for a day so they'll appreciate me more."
"Or run away ta Mexico to get away from them. It was considered." Eames quickly informed him, dead serious about it. "Unfortunately my lovely boyfriend wouldn't have been able to come too seeing as he has two siblings to look after. Getting them across the border with us would have been more trouble than even we can handle. Plus our parents wouldn't have liked it. And Arthur wouldn't have either, since I doubt they have a lot of the amenities in Mexico that he would consider essential to his happiness."
"Yeah. Plus the lack of rain would be a problem for you seeing as you're half English. I was sorta disappointed to find out that all that rain hadn't given you webbed feet."
"Someone's been watching 'Wimbledon'."
As it turned out Chris hadn't seen the movie, which was a bloody shame, and so as Chris wheeled him down the corridor to the front waiting room Eames told him all about the movie, which was British and had Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst, and James McAvoy in it. Oh, and the guy from 'Game of Thrones'. The one shagging his sister. He was the one who made the comment about how the English would someday develop webbed feet.
Eames had just opened his mouth to tell Chris that the guy who played Happy in the 'Iron Man' movies was also in it when he caught sight of a very familiar and sexy form at the end of the hallway, the teenager in question leaning against a wall and working away at his phone. "Arthur."
"That's your boyfriend? Very nice."
"I know, right? And I only had to end up in a wheelchair with him as my tutor to get him to notice me. It was easier to catch him while on wheels." Eames confided, wiggling his eyebrows for emphasis.
"I'm impressed your clothes didn't give him enough of a head start. They're usually eye catching enough."
Eames good naturedly laughed at that as he stated that Arthur was as much a fashion horse as Chris was. Chris's clothes were always perfectly coordinated and put together too.
"Smart man."
"Brilliant, actually. Arthur!"
Looking up from his phone Arthur smiled at him and then looked down to turn off his phone before pocketing it. "You're alive."
"No thanks to Corey. This is Chris, by the way. The not evil and incompetent one. Chris, this is Arthur."
"Nice to meet you." Coming over Arthur held out a hand for Chris to shake.
"Same. Eames has mentioned you a lot recently."
"Only good things." Eames promised with a wink before asking the next logical question. "So what are you doing here? Not that I don't love seeing you, Darling." Though actually he'd prefer Arthur not see him in a chair while he was utterly wasted from his physio. Chris had really worked him hard to make up for Corey's crappiness. Or at least Eames was hoping that that was the reason and Chris wasn't just stepping up his torturing ways.
"Your mom called and asked if I could come pick you up for her. Apparently her car up and died on her just outside of town. Your dad was on his way to pick her up when she called, so don't worry about her being stranded."
"Shit. Did she say how bad it was?"
"No idea. But she seemed to think that your dad could probably fix it. Or at least figure out what was wrong and take it to the garage so that she doesn't have to deal with Lewis. According to her five minutes around him and she wants to say to hell with having taken the Hippocratic Oath."
"Yeah. She can never decide if she just wants to drop a car on him or beat him to death with a tire iron. Calling him a chauvinistic pig is being too kind." Eames added, to explain his mom's deep hatred for the town's chief mechanic.
"Ah. Gotcha."
"So where are the sprogs?"
Arthur shook his head, possibly at Eames's habit of calling his siblings 'sprogs'.
"James and Phil are at their dentist appointments. I left Dad in charge, which is probably a mistake...but I told the receptionist to call if I needed to come rescue them."
"Dental pain. Ouch." Chris winced in sympathy. "I'd rather break a limb."
"No, thankfully. Just their usual checkups. Though if they were to have any cavities it would probably be his fault so really it's only fair that he be there. They've had more junk to eat this week than they usual do in at least two months."
"Well I'd love to stay and talk about how dentists are the real sadist bastards, not physiotherapists, but I need to head back to meet with my next client. So, Eames, follow the instructions, do the exercises, and I'll see you in three days. Nice to meet you again, Arthur."
"Thanks for everything you've done for Eames."
Eames inwardly awwwwwwwwwwwwwed over that. But manfully kept it inside his head.
"Bye, Chris. Remember your promise."
Chris gave them a salute and a wink and then off he went back down the hallway to torture someone else. Which suited Eames just fine.
"So do we need to do anything else here before we go?"
"Normally I'm supposed to check out and get my next appointment from Michelle, but for both our sakes let's just go."
"Both your sakes?"
"You wouldn't last five minutes in a room with her. Trust me. It's best to keep contact with her to a minimum."
"Fair enough." Walking around to get behind the chair, Arthur started pushing it in the direction of the front doors.
"I can-"
"Hush. Let me push it. You look like you'd keel over if you were standing."
"I could stand." Probably. Or at least he was going to have to for a moment or two while he went from this chair into the passenger seat of Arthur's car.
The chair suddenly coming to a stop, Eames felt Arthur lean over him. And before he could ask why he felt a pressure on his head that suggested that maybe Arthur had just kissed the top of his head. Had Arthur just kissed the top of his head? There were other places that he'd much rather Arthur kiss but-
"Relax. Remember what happens when you let me be in charge?"
Well fuck. He needed a blanket to put over his lap now.
Arthur's laughter was low and sexy, which didn't help Eames's 'problem' one little bit but did distract him enough that they were out the door moments later, Michelle's overly perky 'Goodbye' following them out the automated doors.
Thankfully Arthur had gotten a parking space near the building and the space beside the car empty, which was an added bonus. It meant less walking for him.
"I pulled the seat back as far as it could go and reclined it. I thought that might help."
"Thanks. It should." And even if it didn't he'd grin and bear it.
Coming around Arthur got the passenger door open and then came back over to stand at Eames's side. "Will you let me help you in or would you rather go it alone and hope you don't end up on the pavement or bashing your head against the car?"
Well when he put it that way...
"Help would be appreciated."
Carefully Eames used the armrests to slowly get to his feet, Arthur's arm there to wrap around Eames's waist in support. Sliding an arm over Arthur's shoulder Eames very carefully took the last couple of steps and then bent to slid onto the seat. He couldn't help but curse the entire time through clenched teeth, but at least he made it without falling on his arse. Which was the main thing. And now he could lie back with a sigh of relief that the worst was over. Until he got home and had to get out again.
Though he felt a little unmanned when Arthur leaned in to buckle him like a kid. Or he did until Arthur twisted around to smile at him, dimples on full, adorable display.
"I love the shirt, by the way."
Preening a little, Arthur NEVER complimented him on his clothes, Eames looked down with pleasure at the shirt in question. It was a 'Notorious RBG' shirt that he'd bought online along with one for his mum and Mimi for Mother's Day. They'd been a big hit and he wore his 'You Can't Spell Truth Without Ruth' shirt proudly. The woman was a serious badarse.
"I can get you one if you want."
"I've got one. So do the kids. I consider her an excellent role model for Phillipa and James likes us all having shirts that match. Even if he thinks she's a little scary looking."
Eames laughed. "She sorta does, doesn't she?"
Arthur inclined his head in agreement.
"And you have one of the shirts despite your usual clothing style. And here I thought you couldn't get any more attractive."
That called for some more kissing. Lots and lots of kissing.
)
Eventually the snogging had to come to an end, les sigh, and Arthur closed the passenger door behind him and then walked around to the driver's side. Getting in Arthur buckled up, retrieved his designer shades from their place on the dash, and then started the car. And looked sexy as fuck doing it too, Eames thought with a 'I have one fine man' grin on his face. And damn if Arthur didn't have a similar smile on his face when he glanced in his direction to ask if he wanted some shades too.
"Nah, I'm good."
"Queen good with you music wise?"
"Queen is always the right answer." Eames would have done a little head banging to prove it, but that would not end well for him given his present condition. Though when 'Bohemian Rhapsody' came on it wouldn't be easy to resist.
Of course that was the first song on the CD.
"Can we skip this song? It's sacrilegious for an Englishman not to head bang to this. And I'm liable to need a neck brace if I try it now."
"'Another One Bites The Dust' is next."
Eames took a moment to consider that. "That doesn't require that much movement. I can appreciate it while being mostly still."
So Arthur skipped over the first and they both did little head nods in time with the beat of the second.
'Killer Queen' was next, and he was fond of it too, but not so fond that Eames felt bad for talking over it as he asked Arthur if his dad was still planning to leave the following morning.
Arthur nodded. "Thankfully the kids are used to it at this point. I think. It's hard to tell with James sometimes. Phil...if she's upset she'll let it be known."
"That is my experience with females, yes. Which reminds me...I should call my mum."
Reaching over Arthur turned down the volume so that Eames would be able to hear his mother clearly.
Eames mouthed a 'Thank you' as he pulled out his phone and carefully brought it up to his ear after speed dialing his mum. She didn't answer. Nor did his father when he tried him instead.
"Maybe they're working together to fix the problem and they didn't want to get grease or whatever on their phones by answer."
"Or are arguing so loudly they couldn't hear me calling."
"He still hasn't figured out the need to grovel?"
"I told him to! He thinks he shouldn't have to and that she should be 'reasonable'. You can tell he works and lives in a male centric world. My father...he doesn't get women at all. I get them better, and I'm as gay as Freddie. At this point I'm more optimistic about my chances of getting Ariadne and Yusuf back together again."
"Why would you want that? She could do so much better."
"He loves her!"
"So? He's also a mad scientist geek with an unhealthy obsession with 'Doctor Who' and 'Star Trek'. And don't even get me started on his complete lack of fashion sense and horrible facial hair."
"Ari's not perfect either, you know."
"True. Her French accent is still atrocious."
"I know, right? Bloody painful is what it is. Right up there with how miserable she is without Yusuf. Even if she is hiding it under a lot of anger and homicidal threats."
The sunglasses hid it, but Eames sensed Arthur rolling his eyes at him. The smirk he could see.
"What?"
"Just marveling at how my world's changed since I moved here. I'm trying to imagine what pre-parent Arthur would have thought of you. I think you would have irritated the hell out of him."
Eames said 'thanks' with every bit of sarcasm his body possessed. Which was a hell of a fucking lot, thank you very much.
"And that would have been his loss."
Oh.
"My world was always very structured. Everything fitting into my neatly labeled boxes with room to spare. I had my life mapped out to within an inch of my life, and I liked it that way. Then I became the sole guardian of two minor children and all those plans were shredded, tossed in a trash can, and set on fire. Repeatedly until not even ash existed. Often daily."
"They'll do that."
"Constantly. And so do you." Arthur smirk grew. "And perversely enough...I'm actually starting to enjoy that. Trying to figure us out might just be one of the most complicated equations I've ever tried to puzzle out."
"You think so?"
"Eames...you're way too young for me. You dress like you're color blind half the time, willing watch reality TV, AND you say the most ridiculous things like just saying them makes them so. And you call me pet names which always used to piss me off when other people did it, but somehow you make them charming. Though if you ever call me something really stupid like 'Cupcake' or 'Sweetie Pie' I will sucker punch you."
"Understood." And he wasn't that stupid, thank you very much. As for the rest...
"If you buy me clothes I'll wear them. That's the deal I have with Mum and Mimi."
"Does it count if I take you shopping and you pay for it?"
"Darling, I adore you. Which is why it would probably be for the best if we never go clothes shopping together. At least when I'm the one we're buying for."
"Where DO you get your clothes from?"
"The thrift store. And online." Eames gestured towards his shirt proudly.
"I see. Well I can tolerate that so long as you don't try and grow your hair out or grow a beard. I will shave you bald while you sleep."
"I could pull off a beard."
"No. You couldn't."
He'd never actually tried to grow a beard, it was really only recently that his facial hair started to look good when coming in instead of a little on the patchy side, but Eames was sure that he could pull the look off if he really, really tried and said so.
"Shave you bald."
"And then I could do the same to you." Eames shot back just because.
Arthur said nothing until they pulled up to the next set of lights. Which was when he pushed his shades down his nose so that he could give Eames a look that had his blood literally going cold.
"Not if you value your life."
His mummy hadn't raised no fool.
"Understood."
"Good."
And apparently considering the topic closed Arthur pushed his sunglasses back into place and asked if Eames wanted to stop for ice cream on the way to Eames's house. He'd even treat.
"Okay."