Author's Note: Well, look at me. I'm just gushing out chapters. Hope you all enjoy.
This chapter is dedicated to ByTheBeautifulSea, whose reviews never fail to cheer me up and give me more confidence in my writing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inception, or any of its brilliance.
Chapter Eight
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Eames asked, watching Arthur as he packed his overnight bag, throwing various items into it without really looking.
"Yes," Arthur answered in a clipped tone. "It's been two and a half weeks. She's had more than enough time to get over her embarrassment. Besides, if she had just waited and let me talk to her instead of running like she did, she would know that I return her feelings. So yes. I am following her to Spain, and I am going to knock some sense into that beautiful, artistic head of hers."
Eames was quiet. The only noise that could be heard throughout the warehouse was the occasional rustle as Arthur packed. No more than two minutes had passed before Arthur declared he was finished.
"I have the credit card software up and running on the computer. If she uses her credit card like you think she will," Arthur said, ignoring the pointed look Eames gave him, "the location will come up on the screen. If it does happen, I'm going to need the information as soon as possible seeing as I'm going into Toledo with blind eyes. Can you do that?"
Eames rolled his eyes. "I'm sure I can handle it," he said dryly.
"Let's hope so," Arthur muttered as he walked out the door, completely missing the glare Eames shot at him.
AxA AxA AxA AxA AxA
Sitting idle on an airplane was not an easy thing for Arthur to do, but since the plane wasn't set to take off for another ten minutes, he decided to try and calm his frazzled nerves by planning on what to say to Ariadne if he found her. No, not if. When. When he found her.
"You shouldn't have run," he would say softly.
"I was embarrassed," she would say, refusing to face him.
"There was no need to be embarrassed because I feel the same way," he would say, trying to get her to face him, succeeding slightly when her body angle changed from away from him to towards him, though she still wouldn't look at him.
"Really?" she would ask, her breath catching in her throat.
His answer would be to kiss her. His lips would cover hers, smothering them in a fierce kiss that he would never forget. Her lips would be velvet soft, they would—
Arthur quickly opened his eyes. The only thing that had done was increase his heart rate and blood pressure. If a fantasy kiss made his blood boil, he could only imagine what a real kiss would do.
Arthur was relieved when the plane took off.
AxA AxA AxA AxA AxA
Ariadne was sweating bullets. She had been standing in front of the ATM for the past ten minutes, putting off the cash withdrawal she desperately needed, but knowing she had to. With only $100 left, it wouldn't last her much longer. Perhaps a day. Maybe two. Hopefully since her hotel was a couple blocks away from the ATM, he wouldn't be able to find her.
Who was she kidding? She had nothing to worry about. Clearly Arthur didn't care about her, or he would have found her by now.
She knew she was being unfair. She was the one who had run. She was the one who had stayed hidden. But a part of her felt that if Arthur had wanted to find her that badly, he would have done it by now.
She sighed again, softly, and put the withdrawn cash in her purse, walking to her apartment to pack her things.
AxA AxA AxA AxA AxA
Arthur flipped his phone shut after checking his messages for the hundredth time. Still no word from Eames.
He had been driving for hours, not realizing just how massive Toledo was, and checking all the hotels and apartments for a room under Ariadne's name. There was the possibility that she had checked in with a fake alibi, but fortunately for Arthur, she had left her fake passport and identification in her desk (not that he went through her desk, of course). So he was fairly certain the room would come up with her name.
It was nearing sunset when Eames finally contacted him.
"She withdrew cash from an ATM on the street Olias del Rey. Head west from the airport in Toledo and you'll get there in about twenty minutes," Eames said.
Arthur mentally groaned. Of course. He had gone east from the airport. The street was a good two hours away from where he was, according to his map.
"Thanks, Eames," Arthur said, snapping his phone closed.
Leaning back in his seat, Arthur tried to get his body to relax and pressed his foot down on the gas.
AxA AxA AxA AxA AxA
Ariadne looked around, checking to make sure everything was packed. She walked out onto her balcony, breathing in the sweet smell of the orange trees surrounding the apartment building complex and watching the sun as it slowly started to sink.
Setting up her easel, Ariadne let her mind go blank as the pinks, reds, and oranges began to blur together on the canvas, almost perfectly portraying the sight in front of her.
Putting her paint down on the table, Ariadne stood up and stretched as the last of the sun sank under the horizon. Leaving the painting out to dry, she slipped into her tank-top and sweats and crawled under the covers, keeping the window open for the occasional breeze that fluttered throughout the room.
Snuggling deeper under the covers, Ariadne fell into deep sleep mere minutes later, too immersed in sleep to notice the soft click of her door handle turning.
A/N: So, this is the last chapter I have before I decide where to go with this story. Based off the poll so far, I'll be making this story much longer. Which I'm really excited about because I have tons of ideas!
Reviews are love, my faithful readers! :)