Author's Note: And here is the second chapter! I hope you guys enjoy :)
Chapter Two:
Eames found himself standing in a park and quickly darted behind a tree. He looked around, and some of his breath escaped him.
There was a reason Cobb had picked her. She truly was the best architect he had ever met. Pristine glass buildings were surrounding the park, but in a way that wasn't threatening, but in a homely way. Rain slid down the glass, leaving a wet trail in its wake. Beautiful roses of every color were in bloom in some gardens- though most of them were a deep red. The gardens surrounded a small pond with a fountain in the middle. The crystal surface would have been as smooth as glass, Eames was sure, had soft raindrops not been falling. Despite the rain, two swans, white as snow, were in the middle of the bond, their necks gently intertwined, forming a heart.
Eames rolled his eyes. Could she have been any more obvious?
He glanced around, making sure that Ariadne was nowhere in sight, and cautiously stepped out of his hiding place. He needed to get to a mirror, and fast. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a quaint diner. He casually walked in, sent a flirtatious smile to the waitress behind the bar (Arthur would kill him if he knew he was flirting with Ariadne's subconscious), and made his way into the men's restroom. A quick look around reassured him that no one else was in there. Eames looked at the mirror in front of him and focused.
He thought of Arthur's impeccable three-piece suits, his cool demeanor, his slicked back hair. Slowly but surely the reflection started to change. Eames's short, dirty blonde hair darkened to the color of coffee beans and pulled itself back, as if held back by an invisible line. His blazer and jeans converted into an immaculate charcoal suit, and he held back the smirk that was threatening to appear on his face. He gave himself a quick grin.
"Not bad," he said, looking at a side view, mentally giving himself a pat on the back.
Hastily, Eames walked out of the diner and back into the rain. He went back into the park, hoping to spot Ariadne. The rain continued to lightly fall, making Eames suit damp and chill.
"How the bloody hell does he wear these things all the time?" Eames mumbled under his breath.
After wandering aimlessly in the park for what felt like hours, Eames finally saw a speck of red around a woman's neck on a park bench at the top of a hill. At a closer look, he knew it was Ariadne's signature scarf wrapped around her neck, as usual.
Some of the relief that Eames felt at finally finding the architect stopped in its track, only for surprise to take its place. Ariadne, he noticed, wasn't alone. At a closer look, he saw that a man was sitting beside her, their fingers linked together. Eames look even closer still, and realized that he was looking at a projection. Not just any projection, but a projection of Arthur.
"Oh," Eames chuckled. This would be interesting.
The sadness Eames had seen on her face was nowhere to be found. Eames heard her laugh quietly, a pretty flush gracing her cheeks and neck. Ariadne looked happier that he had seen her in a long time. Unfortunately, as they both knew, dreams didn't last forever. Eventually you had to wake up.
He made his way up the hill until he was standing a mere foot from the couple. When Ariadne finally took notice of him, she gasped in surprise, her eyes widening. She stood up quickly, making her way over to him.
"Care to explain?" Eames asked, a small smirk on his face, his eyebrow raised.
Ariadne opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, only to snap it shut again when no words would come out. Her cheeks, which normally had a pink tinge to them, were now a flaming red.
"I-um..," she stammered.
A/N: The swans were terribly cliché, I know, but I couldn't help it-I just get so caught up in this couple :). And if you couldn't tell how much I absolute *love* rain from this chapter, I'll tell you now. I love, love, love rain. I know it's a bit short, but this is more of a filler chapter so things can start moving along. Reviews are love!
A/N 2: Just to clear things up: Eames is forged into Arthur, and even though it says that Eames is talking at the end, Ariadne thinks it's Arthur. Sorry if I confused anyone!