December 23.
Arthur walked towards the hotel room in front of him, he could her someone crying, it got louder and louder as he opened slowly, the room was dark but he could see someone was inside, he stepped inside the room and the door closed behind him.
"No!" Cobb was on the floor crying
"Cobb, What-"
"Mal! Mal is dead!"
Cobb slammed him against the wall grabbing his shoulders and yelling at him, Arthur nodded and hold Cobb tight. a feeling of powerlessness spanned him, Mal was dead, he knew she had been acting weird the past weeks but… she was young, she had a whole life ahead of her and she…
"Oh god, Pippa, James-"
His lips trembled and he felt the tears running down his cheeks, burning his skin, he holds Cobb tighter.
"She's gone, Arthur" he cried, "What I'm I supposed to do?"
They slid together until they hit the floor, he could still feel the man sobbing and screaming but he couldn't hear a thing.
"Mal" he whispered "Mal why?"
He woke up and sat on the bed covered in sweat and shaking, he felt a warm body against him, his head was in the curve of the man's neck and a couple of arms holding him.
"It's okay, Shh, it's okay"
Eames was stroking his back while he whispered. He sobbed, Arthur was never held like that by anyone, not even by his father or Mal.
"I-" he forced himself to stop crying.
"It was just a bad dream, Darling" Eames said feeling Arthur breading in his neck. "A nightmare"
"More like a memory" he answered after a few seconds. "What time is it?"
"Three a. m." Eames answered holding him closer. "May I ask what was this… memory about?"
"I always remember the day Mal died by this time of the year" Arthur swallowed loudly "It's like my mind relates her dead with Christmas"
"I'm sorry, darling"
"That day Cobb called me and asked me to go to this hotel, I knew something was wrong, I could hear it in his voice"
Eames nodded.
"I arrived there and he just… he was angry and sad and…" his eyes darkened to the memory "he told me the police was going to blame him and he needed to get out of the country, I helped him." He sounded like he was afraid to being judged by his actions.
"Of course, you are a good friend, that was what you must do"
"The next day it was all over the news, I was at his house with the kids waiting for Miles and the police entered like it was their house, like they had the right, I remembered Philippa asked me where was Mal and if Cobb was with her. I thanked God he wasn't."
Tears started to stream down his face, soaking Eames' shirt. They stayed in that position for what seemed hours, until Eames felt Arthur's breathing slow down. He was sleeping. Eames left him on the bed and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.
"Wait" Arthur sounded sleepy "Please, stay"
Eames sat on the bed looking at him.
"Please" Arthur said with eyes closed.
"Of course, Darling"
He chuckled when he felt the warm of Eames body in his back, Eames put his arm around his waist and left a kiss on his cheek. Arthur smiled once he heard a little snore coming out of Eames's lips. Arthur never had someone in bed with him before, well at least not like that. He then wondered how many of Eames's partners have had him like this before, and he wished he was the only one.
"Uncle Arthur!" Philippa jumped on top of him. "Wake up sleepy head!" she said poking his face.
He opened his eyes slowly and smiled at her.
"I'm up, I'm up"
"Daddy wants to know if you are sleeping" she brushed his hair back with her little fingers.
He chuckled and nodded.
"I am now"
"Okay, let's go eat breakfast" She ran out of the room. "Daddy is making waffles!" she yelled.
His head was pounding furiously he lay on the bed with a pillow on his head. It was ten o' clock and he thought he could get some more sleep. He remembered that Eames had slept with him.
"What are you doing to me, Mr. Eames" he mumbled against the pillow.
He stood up a few minutes later and took a bath. When he came down the stairs he found Ariadne and her twin friends cleaning up the room with Yusuf still sleeping on the couch. Cobb was making breakfast for his two kids, but he couldn't find Eames.
When Ariadne looked at him she giggled and started whispering things to Sara's ear. Kara on the other hand was just smiling at him; he could swear she even gave him a small wink. He murmured a small 'good morning' and ran to the kitchen. He sat in the table and James gave offered him his juice.
"Thanks" he whispered sipping from the straw.
"Hey Arthur would you babysit for me today?" Cobb asked "I have a dinner today with Miles and it's important to him I go"
"I see" Arthur knew Cobb didn't spend many time with his father.
"Please uncle, Arthur please!" Pippa begged
"We are going to behave" James said pouting.
"How can I say no to you two rug rats" he said
They smiled and started kissing him.
"Kids, why don't you go upstairs and wash your hands" Cobb asked.
Both kids stormed out of the kitchen. Cobb sighed and left a plate with some waffles in front of Arthur and a cup of coffee in his hands. He ate in silence until Cobb sighed for the third time.
"What" he asked with his mouth full.
"Nothing" he chuckled and shrugged.
"No, really, what"
"Ariadne told me he saw you and Eames going to your room last night" he answered taking another sip from his coffee
"So?" Arthur scowled "We are sharing the room thanks to you"
"Right"
"What-" Arthur looked at him.
Cobb laughed at Arthur's expression.
"No, Oh god no" he shook his head "we didn't do-"
"I don't care" Cobb said covering his ears "What you do with you love life is fine by me, I just don't want details"
"I'm serious we-" he paused and looked at Cobb "you know I'm gay?"
"Everyone knows, Arthur" Ariadne entered the kitchen with some garbage bags on her hands.
"So evident" said Kara leaving a kiss in his left cheek
"So obvious" said Sara leaving on in his right.
"What we didn't know" Ariadne said sitting next to him "is that you were going to end up with that 'huge idiot, bad excuse of human being-"
"Pervert, ball of stupidity-" Cobb added
Both citing him.
"That calls himself Mr. Eames" Ariadne finished
He stared at them with his mouth slightly opened, not sure of what to say.
"We all knew they would end up together" Yusuf yelled from the couch.
"I believe they called that unreleased sexual tension" said Kara curling her hair around her finger.
"Kara!" her sister slapped her arm playfully.
"What? You were thinking it" she said with a smile on her face
"Yeah, but you said it" the girl winked at her.
Ariadne and Cobb started laughing, even Yusuf's laugh was heard from across the room.
"We did not sleep together" They actually did "Mr. Eames and I didn't have sex, we didn't fuck" he corrected himself "would you please act like the adults you are?"
"We though-" Ariadne started
"Sorry" Cobb said
The front door opened and Eames walked in with a bag on his arm. They all looked at each other except for Arthur who continued eating his breakfast.
"Honey, I'm home!" he yelled in Yusuf's ear.
"Asshole!" the man answered.
"Guess what I found" Eames said "Hangover pills" he threw one to Yusuf and entered the kitchen. "Who died?"
They all looked at each other shaking their heads and shrugging.
"Eames, Eames!"
Pippa and James both wrapped themselves around his legs. He smiled stroking the heads ruffling their hairs.
"I bought you guys some cookies" he said with two boxes on his hand. They started clapping.
"But" Cobb took the boxes "You'll eat them after lunch" Pippa pouted.
"Grow up, Pippa" James rolled his eyes shaking his head.
"Come Pippa, I bought some make up yesterday" said Ariadne grabbing her hand "Let's made Sara a make-over"
The girls walked out the room leaving Cobb and Eames alone with Arthur.
"How are you today, Darling?" Eames asked
"Marvelous" Cobb answered
"Oh, I'm glad cupcake" he joked "but I was asking Arthur here"
"I'm fine" he answered quietly
"Bought you some pills, for the headache"
"Thanks" he gave him a small smile.
"That is so thoughtful, Eames. Arthur, you should thank him later" Cobb smirked and Arthur kicked him under the table "Ouch!"
"Not necessary" Eames shrugged without noticing Cobb's pain face. "Any plans for today?"
Cobb nodded.
"I was going to stay with the kids today" he said "but Miles' still in town and asked me to dinner"
"That's great" Eames said "Are James and Pippa-
"Arthur is baby sitting" Cobb added "You doing something?"
"I am" Eames said "Some friends are visiting from Manchester"
Arthur felt a little disappointed, he sighed and stood up, he left his empty plate on the sink and left with a small wave. Eames crooked Cobb a brow and he shrugged, but he knew Arthur was disappointed Eames was going out.
