Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me.
Adam walked up the steps of his rented house, and his heart sank. The paint was peeling off the stairs, and the front.
She's going to think I live in a slum, he thought, swallowing. He turned to her. "Um, I know its a little shabby, but-"
Ariadne raised her eyebrows. "Adam. Stop it. Its not a problem, really."
He nodded, and then unlocked the door. As he ushered her in, his heart sank further. The lounge was in chaos: DVDs were stacked in falling towers by the TV; mugs full of half-drunk liquid were sitting on the coffee table; and, he noticed with an increasingly sinking heart, a bong pipe half full of hash was lying on the couch. He groaned.
She's going to think I'm a dope head slob who can't take care of himself! She's going to-
"May I sit down?" Ariadne's voice broke into his thoughts; he turned, and swallowed. She smiled at him, and he felt himself relaxing.
"Yes, if you can find a place to sit." He smiled, and she laughed. "I'm sorry its so messy, its just-"
"Its not a problem," she repeated, and then walked over to him. "Adam, really. I invited myself over here, remember?"
He nodded, and took a deep breath. "Can I get you anything? Coffee, water, green tea?"
"Green tea?" Ariadne repeated, raising her eyebrows. He looked at her. "My Mom insists on buying it for me. She says it prevents cancer." He smiled wryly. "Too late, really."
She nodded, her dark eyes clouding slightly. "Well, if you're offering, green tea sounds great!"
He hurried into the kitchen. As he put the water on to boil, he reached into a cupboard, and pulled out the box. Opening it, he dropped two of the innocuous looking teabags into cups. He leaned against the counter, waiting for the water to finish.
"Adam, what are you using this for?" He blinked. Ariadne was holding the bong pipe. He could tell by the amused twinkle in her eyes that she knew exactly what he was using it for.
"Um, its not mine, its my best friend, Kyle's." He spoke quickly, and was thankful to hear the piercing whistle of the kettle. "He uses it."
"What for?" She asked, innocently.
"Night blindness," Adam said, nodding. Ariadne's lips quirked into a grin. "Oh, of course."
Smiling, he reached for the kettle, and poured water onto the bags. Waited. To his horror, the water started to turn a muddy yellow colour. "Er, Ariadne..."
"What is it?" She asked, getting up and coming over. One look into the cups made her realise. "oh." She bit her lip. "It does look, um, well-"
"Like the kind of water you find in hayfield puddles," Adam finished. He turned to her. "We don't have to drink this, I mean-"
"No, no," she said, hastily. "Its fine, Adam." She picked up a cup, and headed back to the couch. He followed. Skeletor, who had been lying dozing in his bed, woke up, stretched, and trotted after his master. As Adam sunk into it, Skeletor wandered up and rested his head on his lap.
"Hey, boy," he said, affectionately, scratching the dog's ears. Ariadne smiled. "You had him a while?"
"No," he replied, resting his head on the greyhound's head. "My ex got him for me. She said he would help with the healing process." He leaned back in his seat.
"Oh. Right." She took a sip of green tea, clearly conscious they were heading towards dangerous territory. Adam held his cup, and his thoughts clouded. Rachel. She'd promised to stand by him, to help him...and Kyle had caught her with another guy, at an exhibition. He felt himself tense. He couldn't forgive her, but he also felt he couldn't blame her. The rules of his life had suddenly changed. His body had turned on him, developing a cancerous growth that had transported him into a parallel universe. He gripped the handle of the cup, tightly. Suddenly, he heard a slightly choking noise.
He blinked, and turned to Ariadne. "You ok?"
"Um this tea," she said, turning to him. "Its, uh, a little unusual."
Adam blinked, and took a swallow. His eyes widened, and he choked it down. "Oh, Jesus, this is horrible!" He grabbed her cup. "I'm so sorry, I give you something that tastes like boiled urine!"
Ariadne started to giggle. "Have you ever drunk that?"
Adam smiled. "No," he confessed. "But I know a guy who probably has." He leaned back on the couch. "This is terrible, I nearly walk out, then I serve you this boiled piss-"
Ariadne was laughing. "Its no problem," she said, smiling. "Really." She looked at him. "Don't suppose you have coffee?" She asked, shyly.
Adam nodded. "Oh, I do. Very dark roast. I must warn you though, it causes cancer!"
Ariadne burst out laughing. Skeletor put his head up, and pricked up his ears. Laughing himself, Adam gently moved the dog's head, and headed for the coffee grinder.
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