4.
~ Arthur woke up to the smell of cooking. The faint, heavenly smell of pancakes on the stove and bacon roused him into the land of the living. He opened his eyes and didn't know where he was at first. He had fallen asleep on a comfortable couch and the light in the clean apartment was more then his eyes could take in. His head was pounding and he could feel how dirty he was.
"Morning." Came a voice. "You feel asleep on the sofa last night."
Ariadne appeared in her living room and looked down at the Point Man. Arthur's head was dizzy as he sat up.
"I was drinking last night." He mumbled.
"Yes, I know." Ariadne said with a sarcastic brightness. She looked over him sadly. "Why don't you get cleaned up? I've put an extra toothbrush on the bathroom sink. Breakfast is almost ready."
Arthur nodded and hefted his suddenly too heavy body up and stumbled to her bathroom. Ariadne had taken off his shoes and covered him with a blanket when he had passed out. The hung over Point Man washed up a little and brushed his teeth. His normally immaculate self was unrecognizable in the mirror. Arthur shook his head and did his best to comb his hair back.
"I'm sorry, about last night." Arthur said when he came back out of the bathroom. Ariadne handed him some Ibuprofen and a glass of water.
"I don't have any tolerance for alcohol." He sighed sadly. Ashamed to even look at her.
"No kidding." She said sarcastically. "Are you hungry?" She asked.
"Starving." He said.
"I hope you like turkey bacon. It's all I eat." She said handing him a heavy plate of pancakes, eggs, hash browns and bacon.
"Wow." He whispered as his stomach roared into life.
"You were out like a light this morning, so I went to the market and got a few things. If you weren't too hung over, I figured you would want something to eat." She said pouring him some coffee as he started to eat. Turkey bacon was a little different, but he could get used to it. "I don't normally cook. But the hormone pills have me cooking and cleaning like mad lately." She explained wiping down a counter in her immaculate kitchen. "After your done eating, we can talk about your counter proposal."
"Counter proposal?" Arthur asked letting the pancakes melt in his mouth. If she kept cooking like this, he would agree to anything she wanted.
"You said you would be willing to help me, but only if I had sex with you." She said coldly.
Arthur froze. Like a rabbit hearing a noise that meant his death was eminent. He dared not move for fear of the attack.
He swallowed hard and looked at the Architect slowly. Her face was like stone. An expression he normally wore.
"Well, that's not what I said." He ventured out slowly.
"So, the 'Old Fashioned Way' doesn't mean what I think it does?" She asked.
"No. Well yes. It does. But, I don't want to go to some doctor's office and do this. It's too... clinical." He explained trying to remember all the good reasons he had thought up the night before.
"The one time donation can test for any defects in your sperm or genes." Ariadne said.
Arthur shook his head at the idea that any part of him might be defective.
"Plus, I can keep trying at a time when I would have a better chance at success. The odds would be better with artificial insemination." She said defensively.
"I don't want my child conceived artificially." Arthur snapped. "I think it's wrong. A baby shouldn't be brought into the world like that."
"With artificial insemination, you wouldn't be responsible for the baby. You won't have to pay child support." She told him.
"I don't care about child support." Arthur said angrily. His appetite suddenly gone.
He gave her a stern look. Was it just his imagination, or did she look more attractive then normal? Her skin was clearer and her cheeks were slightly pinker. Her dark hair was shinning and healthy looking and her eyes seemed brighter. He couldn't help his eyes from flicking to her breasts. They suddenly seemed more appealing. Catching his interest like they never had before.
"You look really nice by the way." He said not taking his gaze off her.
Ariadne wrapped he thin cardigan around her body better and glared at him.
"Arthur, I'm not looking for a relationship with anyone. Having a second party involved would only make things more complicated. I want to have a baby and not have to worry about visitation or paternal rights or any of that. With the sperm donation, I wouldn't have to worry about that. You would have no legal claim on the baby. It won't be your child."
"I know. If I'm going to have a child with you. I want to be involved. I don't want some kid out there not knowing who I am. I don't want you to raise my child with out me and I don't want you to leave dream extraction."
"Arthur." Ariadne said. Frustration clearly on her face. "Were just friends."
"Yes." He whispered. He looked down at his half eaten plate and moved some of his food around. "You think I wouldn't make a good father?" He asked.
"No, I think you would make a great dad." She said honestly.
"Well, if you want to go through with this. If you really want it to be me, then this is how it has to be." He said humbly standing his ground. "I don't want you to go to a sperm bank, or go to Eames."
"Alright." She whispered.
His head snapped up.
"Seriously?" He asked. She surged. Her pretty face and clear skin making her look so healthy and full of life.
"I'm calling your bluff." she said casually. Her cardigan had opened slightly and he couldn't help but steal a glance at the mysterious well of cleavage he had never noticed before.
"I'm not bluffing." He said breathing harder.
"Well, I think you are." She said bluntly. She pulled out her smart phone and searched one of her apps. "Your lucky, I'll be ovulating soon. More then enough time for you to change your mind. Which you will."
"No, I won't." Arthur said shaking his head and finishing his breakfast. "This is really good." He added.
"Thank you." She said scrolling over he calender. "And you will change your mind."
"Care to make it more interesting?" Arthur asked suddenly incensed. He enjoyed testing his friend like this.
"How so?" She asked throwing him an amused look.
"Well, if I back out, I'll do the donation. No questions asked. Exactly like you want." He said cleaning his plate.
"Sounds good." Ariadne said giving him a second helping of turkey bacon.
"But if I don't back out, and you do get pregnant the 'old fashioned way'... baby has my last name, and I get just as much paternal rights as any father." Arthur said giving her a hard look.
He could tell Ariadne was thinking about it. That clever little mind of hers in over drive.
"Alright. If in let's say two months, I'm not in the family way... you have to go to the clinic." She said shaking his hand.
"Let me see your phone." He said stanching her smart phone. He looked over the pink calender. At least a week lined with yellow dots. "These are the days we can have better success?" He asked scrolling over them.
"Yes." She said looking annoyed.
"Well, looks like was have a standing appointment tomorrow right up till the end of the week." Arthur said casually standing up.
"I'll see you then. Unless you want to get a jump start now?" He asked roguishly. A devilish smile on his face.
"Your going to lose our bet, Arthur." Ariadne said spitefully. But not able to hide the smile on her face as the Point Man leaned over and stole a kiss.