Chapter Eight
Ariadne had never been good at sports so keeping up with Arthur was something of a challenge. The gun ran swiftly and smoothly without a hair out of place whilst Ariande sweated and panting along behind him. She was sure that her head was going to explode. Unless Mal had a twin sister lurking around then she had a very good reason to run.
Ariadne desperately wanted to check the inside of her coat for her totem but she was afraid that if she did now then it would fall out of her hands and she would literally loose her gasp on reality.
"In here" Arthur gave Ariadne's hand a tug and she followed him into a gap between two buildings that was too small to even be considered a laneway. Suddenly thrust up against Arthur's chest Ariadne momentarily forgot about the present danger as his cologne engulfed her. He looked down at her the pair of them was so squashed up against each other that Ariadne could barely concentrate.
"You're not going to ask me to kiss you again are you?" she tried to joke hoping that it came out much smoother than she thought it did.
Arthur's serious face broke into a grin. "I think you've been subjected to enough trauma for one day".
Ariadne tried to look away disappointed that Arthur had effectively closed that opportunity down so quickly. The two of them stood panting for a moment trying to slow their heart rates. A few moments passed and Mal did not dramatically peer around the corner as Ariadne had been expecting.
"So-" Ariande tried to clear her throat but she could still feel Arthur's breath ticking her cheek. "What the hell is going on?"
"I wish I could tell you" Arthur said moving back in to the open street. As soon as Ariadne had room to move out she checked in her coat pocket. She sighed a sign of relief when she felt the tip of her totem piece.
"You're not dreaming" Arthur reassured her showing her his own totem.
"I almost wish I were, that would at least make sense" Ariadne sighed. She couldn't believe that they were going to casually walk back to their apartment now. She wanted to tell Arthur what Cob had told her but didn't know if she could.
"It was definitely her, I never would mistake her ever" there was a strange look in Arthur's eyes that Ariadne couldn't read. She figured she had bigger problems at the moment.
"She's dead Arthur" Ariadne muttered wondering why it felt weird to say.
"I know" Arthur nodded gravely. Ariadne could almost see sadness in his eyes. He turned to her. "There comes a time in this job where nothing really makes sense anymore, let's go home".
The pair strode off casually at a much slower speed slowly blending in to the crowd around them who were more concerned with due days, business meetings, what to buy for birthdays and upcoming job interviews than people messing with the subconscious. Ariadne honestly didn't know what to think she wondered if the Seekers could disable her capacity for rational thought and logic. It certainly felt that way. If the pair of them were not dreaming then they must be going mad. But then as far as Ariadne knew you didn't share delusions when you were going mad.
She gave an exasperated sigh and Arthur patted her shoulder. "Please don't stress Ariadne, we'll figure this out, let's just get back to your place and I'll call Cobb".
Ariadne nodded though she didn't know how beneficial calling Cobb about his dead wife would be. Arthur noticed the confusion on her pale face and reached down to grabbed her hand squeezing it in a comforting way.
Ariadne's heart stopped for a moment. It was so strange that holding hands with Arthur was as dramatic as running from a dead woman but it was. She wasn't sure what to do but she had to admit it felt nice and she squeezed his hand back. Arthur didn't let go until they had finally reached her apartment. Ariadne looked up sheepishly at Arthur this wasn't the way she had expected to bring him home and it was something that she thought about often.
"I've just got to-' she said pointing to the lock on the door and Arthur dropped her hand in an instant.
"Oh yes of course sorry" he said looking away. Ariadne pulled out her key and fumbled with the lock.
"It isn't much" Ariadne said pushing the door open and letting Arthur in. She was quite ashamed of the building sometimes. Everyone always thought that architecture students would live in grand designs of funky new aged buildings but here she was in this rundown block of apartments.
"It's fine" Arthur said stepping inside. He looked so strange against the backdrop of her apartment completely out of place in his crisp suit against the brick walls. "You should have seen where I was living when I was a student".
Ariadne laughed she had difficulty imaging Arthur ever living somewhere that wasn't insanely organized. "What did you only dust four times a day?"
Arthur rolled his eyes before following Ariadne down the corridor and to the door of her apartment. "All right miss is it okay if I call Cobb".
Ariadne nodded not trusting herself to speak. She was so confused she couldn't decide whether she felt like screaming or crying more. She settled on silence walking into her room so that Arthur could make his call in peace.
It was strange to go back to her textbooks after all had happened but they still lay there just as she had left them in her room as if nothing had changed as if she was just a normal student again. She could hear the low rumble of Arthur's voice knowing that she shouldn't listen in but she really wanted to at the same time.
She fingered through her textbooks counting the pages that she should have read by now. She flipped through her diary and saw the due dates highlighted in yellow and sighed. How was she ever going to get back on top of this now?
"Yes I understand that Dom" Ariadne's head turned at the sound of Arthur's raised voice. He was frustrated. Ariadne closed her diary and walked to her door.
"Yes I know" Arthur repeated sounding frustrated. Ariadne peered around the door she could see Arthur pacing back and forth entirely focused on whatever Cobb was telling him. "Yes Dom yes" his voice fell away into a whisper. "I'm concerned too. Look I'm keep an eye on her tonight we'll be back when we can be. Okay bye".
He hung up and Ariadne quickly ducked around her room pretending not to have listened. What were they talked about? Why was Arthur concerned? Was he concerned for her? She heard Arthur's footsteps coming her way and she quickly moved over her desk pretending to look for something.
"Are you all right?" Arthur asked stepping into her room.
"Yeah" Ariadne said turning around. "I'm just looking for my books".
"Can I help?" Arthur asked.
"Um sure" Ariadne blushed trying to decide on what she was actually looking for. "It's just a textbook, it's pretty small, green covering black letters".
Arthur bent down at her desk it felt weird knowing that he was going through her stuff. "Is this it?' he asked holding up the book Ariadne had mentioned.
"Yeah um thank you" Ariadne said as Arthur got up and put the book into her hands his fingertips brushing against hers. They looked at each other for a moment.
"You're not going to study now are you?" Arthur asked his body was very close to Ariadne's. She could almost feel it pressing against her.
"I don't think I can" Ariadne just managed to squeak the words out she could barely concentrate and yet he was staring at her so intensely.
"We'll figure this out I promise" Arthur said in a very un-Arthur like voice catching Ariadne off guard. She was about to reply when he quickly moved into cover her mouth with his own and she quickly forgot all she was about to say. Their kiss deepened and Arthur pulled her towards him. Ariadne sighed deeply as Arthur slowly began kissing her neck. It was so sudden yet Ariadne didn't care she let herself get lost in it all. Arthur returned to kiss her mouth again their lips melting together with a sense of urgency now. Arthur tugged at Ariadne's jacket until it fell to the floor with a clutter.
The loud bang of a heavy object hitting the floor distracted the pair for a moment. Ariadne separated herself from to see what it was. Kneeling on the floor she searched through her jacket to see her totem on the floor.
"ARiadne?" Arthur asked reverting to his more clinical manner. It was hard to believe that just a moment ago he had been kissing her so passionately.
"It's okay" Ariadne smiled. "It was just this".
She ran her hand over it's familiar surface when her heart stopped. There was an unfamiliar red line on the bottom of her otherwise black chess piece.
"Oh God!" she gasped.
"Ariadne?" Arthur said grabbing her to steady her. "What is it?"
Ariadne's face was deathly white it was as if in one moment all the life had drained out of her. "This isn't mine".