"The basics of the dream are quite simple. You just need to know them," Ariadne explained to Arthur, leading him around the level he was going to dream up when it was finally time for them to perform the inception.
Arthur walked behind her, carefully noting the details to remember for later. He occasionally glanced at her, watching her movements as she pointed out details he wouldn't have noticed without her. When they first came into the dream, she had looked around in a circle first as if in a new place she never had been in. But after walking for awhile, she gained more confidence, recognizing the layout she had designed herself.
"When everyone goes under, the hotel suites are up those elevators. When he gives you the numbers, set up the rooms so that the first three numbers are on top of the last three numbers."
"Ariadne…" Arthur started, feeling the need to ask her something. He didn't know what he needed to ask her, he just had to ask her.
"Yes Arthur?" she asked, turning her head to smile at him. She was the only one on the team who would still smile just because. He didn't remember the last time he had smiled, really smiled, not his trademark smirk.
"I wanted to ask…" what did he want to ask? He quickly wracked his mind for the right words, and was coming at a lost. A first for the straight faced point man.
"I wanted to ask what kind of wine you were thinking of putting in the bar," he said weakly, feeling extremely stupid.
But instead of teasing him, she just laughed, a sparkle in her eyes.
"Of course you would ask that. Everything has to be perfect for you, doesn't it Mr. Point man."
He felt the sides of his lips twitch into his smirk, nodding in agreement. She continued walking, explaining more while her smile stayed on her face.
He followed behind, noting that they would most likely wake up soon. He hadn't kept track, so he didn't know exactly when he would open his eyes to reality, where he would take his totem out of his pocket and make sure it was reality, not another dream, just in case.
So he didn't get to say the next question that landed on his tongue right as he felt his eyes open to reality.
He stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds, getting his bearings. His totem was already in his hand, and rolling between his fingers and palm, telling him that he was in reality.
He turned his head, looking at the architect. He always woke up first, either it was habit of waking easier than the others, or just something for him to quickly make sure what was reality. So he got to see her slowly wake up, just coming out of the dream state.
He smiled. A genuine smile.
He agreed to another five minutes of sleep so she could show him more, but really it was just him hoping that during that time he would chalk up the courage to ask the question that he knew he would one day ask, but just didn't know what it was quite yet.