Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me.
Ariadne's eyes widened. "You have cancer?"
Adam nodded, and was already getting out of his chair, embarrassment and humiliation flooding through him. "Yes, I have cancer. So, lets just forget this, shall we?"
He began to move out of his seat, and towards the door. She got up, and moved towards him. "Adam! Wait!"
He opened the door, and turned to her. "What?"
"You can't do this," she said, her voice calm. "You can't just tell me you have cancer and then leave! Sit down, lets talk about this!"
Adam blinked. "I don't know you, you're a complete stranger!" His voice was rising, and he tried to keep it under control. "You and I bump into each other, we go for coffee, and I- I-" He swallowed. Tears were prickling the back of his eyes.
Ariadne reached out, and took his hand. "Hey," she said gently, "its ok."
He swallowed, and rubbed his face. "I'm sorry." He took a deep breath. "I'm being an asshole." He looked at her. "I'm sorry."
She smiled. "Its allright, really, but if my mocha goes cold, I won't forgive you." He smiled, and the tension between them started to dissipate. "Shall we sit down?"
He nodded. As they re-seated themselves, Ariadne picked up her fork, and dug it into the pie. "So, what type of cancer is it?"
He blinked. Then he started to smile. "Oh, God." She blushed. "No, I'm sorry. That was so thoughtless-"
"No, it wasn't," he said, picking up his cooling mint tea. "For the last two months, everyone has sidestepped the issue. They either want to smother me until I suffocate, or they avoid it. Or, if you're my ex-girlfriend, you use it as an excuse to cheat on me, or if you're my best friend try and use it to pick up girls." He shrugged. "So someone just saying 'what cancer have you got?' its refreshing."
Ariadne's jaw was dropping. He bit his lip, and tried to cover the crack in the conversation. "Its spinal. I have a tumor in my back." He swallowed. Ariadne looked into her cup.
"Adam, I-" she paused. "You said your ex-girlfriend-"
He swallowed. "She couldn't handle me being sick. It was hard on her." He fiddled with the handle of his mug. "You're dating someone whose healthy, and suddenly they get told they need to have chemo, doctor's appointments, therapy..." he shrugged. "I don't blame her. She could have been more honest with me. Rather than coming to my house and being in my bed every night."
Ariadne winced. "Sounds rough."
"It was." He leaned back, and rubbed his face. "Then there's Kyle...oh, Jesus, I'm sorry." He shook his head. "You're not my therapist, and here I am telling you these things."
"Its ok." She leaned forward and touched his hand. "Trust me."
He nodded. "Thank you." He took a deep breath. "Kyle thinks I should use my illness to pick up women." He looked at her. "Thinks I should play for sympathy."
Ariadne raised her eyebrows. "Oh."
He nodded. "Yes. Oh." He bit his lip. "So, if you want to leave and call me a jerk off, its fine, it really is." He forced a laugh. "I can't really enjoy sex. Makes my back hurt."
"Stop it." Her tone was forceful, and he looked surprised. "What?"
"Stop it." Ariadne shook her head. "You seem to be determined to scare me off. I'm not going to be scared off." She took a sip of her mocha. "Trust me, Adam, I've seen and heard worse. Far worse." She put her cup down, decisively.
Adam swallowed, trying to think of something to say. Finally, he thought of something.
"So, what type of architecture do you design?" he asked, casually. She blinked, and put her cup down.
"Well, its private work, generally." She looked into her cup. "Its a small business, and generally we-"
Suddenly, the door to the coffee shop opened, and a blonde man walked in. Adam blinked; it was the same guy who had been at the office the previous day. Who had spotted him when Eames had brought him in. He looked at the table.
"Ari!" the blonde man approached them. "Just wondering - when are you getting back?"
She looked at Adam, and then at the other man. "When I've finished here." Her tone was decisive, and she looked from one man to the other. "I was thinking that when we've finished here, Adam," she said, leaning over, "we could go for a walk."
He blinked. "Are you sure?"
Ariadne nodded. "Positive."
Cobb smiled. "I can tell when I'm not wanted." He looked at the young woman. "See you later!"
He left, and Adam took a deep breath. "So, where do you want to walk to?"
Ariadne smiled. "Your place?"
He blinked, and nodding, began to smile.
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