AN: I couldn't resist...this one might be little bit longer than the other two chapters but I kind of needed this to really transition into the ascent of action! I'd just like to say quickly that I'm beyond flattered that all of you are reviewing so kindly, you have me grinning ear to ear from behind my computer screen with every alert and favourite and review. Also, thanks to the people who have helped me out with learning how to work this crazy amazing website. Like always, every single review is so so so so SO appreciated and you're all just spectacular! xx Scarlet
The snow was already falling heavily by the time Ariadne got to the workhouse the next morning. A few flakes first, so pure and clean in the late-afternoon sky, and then wind-driven swirls that rattled the windowpanes and sent a frigid chill through the entire building.
She was working meticulously on a detailed sketch of one of the main buildings they would be using for the dream. She was hunched over the paper, carefully drawing out every line. The only sounds were her pencil scratching across the page, the wheels of her office chair scratching against the stone floor. It wasn't until nearly four 'o clock that she was interrupted by a quick knock on the door.
Looking up abruptly from her work, she was pleased to see Arthur standing there, looking nervous.
"Come in, I don't bite" she laughed, "What's going on?"
Arthur looked tired. He had dark shadows under his eyes, and his tie was hanging crooked. He had the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, exposing his pale, skinny forearms. He must be cold...she thought to herself.
"Cobb needs some jumper cables from the store house, I was, uh..." his eyes lingered for a moment on the scale model she had begun to build, "...just wondering if you needed anything." She paused for a moment before nodding.
"I could use a bigger protractor, the one I have is crap!" He laughed uneasily, "...and maybe some more paper...oh right, and my book..." she sighed, "...can I just come with you?"
He nodded happily, "You might want to bring your jacket, it's snowing pretty hard." Ariadne cast a glance at her coat, which had haphazardly been thrown over the edge of her chair when she first arrived.
"It's just a few minutes' drive isn't it?"
"I suppose so."
She realized almost immediately after getting into Arthur's car that not bringing a jacket was a terrible idea. The soft leather seats felt freezing against her body. He noticed Arthur had worn his leather jacket, and even a pair of Armani leather gloves with his initials embossed on the cuff.
The storehouse was a place about ten minutes away from where they worked. It was small, with a wooden floor and corrugated metal siding. It had a sliding door that looked similar to Ariadne's parent's garage, paint peeling off everywhere and thousands of little chips in the woodwork.
"If you'll just wait in the car for a moment, I'll open the door and you can run in and grab your things."
She watched as he padded out into the snow, punching in the password on a keypad and waiting as the door slid open, sticking in some places.
By the time she had located everything she needed, he was already waiting for her in the car. She noticed he didn't have the keys in the ignition. He motioned at her from inside to wait just a second, and she noticed his frustration as he jammed the keys in the ignition. The car sputtered before dying out.
He opened the door to the car and gave her a nervous smile.
"I'm sorry, you look freezing. The car won't start. Let's go inside and I'll call Cobb." She laughed lightly as her teeth chattered. God, she was cold.
Once inside, Arthur pulled his phone out of his back pocket and speed-dialled Dom.
"Dom, it's me...yes, yes I got them...no, it's just the car won't start...I've tried multiple times, Dom, it's not going to start...could you just send Eames...oh...yes, I understand perfectly well what you're trying to say...very well then... yes...okay, please call me when you can." He turned to her slowly, meeting her eyes briefly before looking down at his shoes. "Eames has left and Dom's planning on dreaming, they said the storm is about to get worse so we have to wait here until they can send a car."
"Okay."
Arthur closed the door and fumbled for the dusty string attached to the light. He pulled it and the room instantly came into focus, a pale yellow shadow falling over everything. Ariadne was sitting against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. Her teeth were chattering, her shoulders shuddering.
"Aren't you cold?"
She looked at him from across the room, chuckling.
"You think?"
"Come over here, you can take my jacket."
She got up off the floor and walked over to where he was standing, the wooden floor creaking with every step. He shed his jacket and helped her into it. He laughed at how big it was on her.
"Sit with me for a little while."
And so she did. They sat down beside each other and for a long while the only sound you could hear was the wind howling outside, rattling the siding of the cabin.
"Were you scared the first time you experienced a dream?" she asked suddenly.
Arthur paused for a moment, opening his mouth to say something and then closing it again.
"No," he answered honestly, "the first time I entered a dream was the most alive I have ever felt. It was reality and emotion and passion all colliding and coursing violently through my veins. Like time had stopped, and yet somehow there was never enough of it. I...It's hard to find the words to describe that kind of feeling...that kind of euphoria."
She sniffled, letting out a long sigh. Inching slowly closer to him, she felt as if everything was moving so slowly, so carefully. Her senses were screaming, and a strange feeling overcame her. The shed fell quiet as Ariadne realized the only sound she could hear was his heartbeat and she loved the way it seemed to fill the entire room. She sat up a bit straighter, tilting her head slightly towards his so that she was looking up at him. From this angle she could count every single one of his long, dark eyelashes. She could see the soft curve of his lips, the strong line of his jawbone.
His body instantly moved closer, it seemed to fit faultlessly with hers. She moved her head back a bit, opening her eyes and looking directly into his. They stayed like this for a long moment before he reached his hand slowly around her neck and wound his fingers into her hair, pulling her towards him forcefully. His lips were on hers like wildfire, the flame had been lit and it burned through every part of him as he gripped her tightly, high off the taste of her kiss.
Ariadne's head spun with emotion, wave after wave of adrenaline hitting her with such force that she felt dizzy. Her heart pounded in her chest as he deepened the kiss, moving to her neck. He planted a delicate line of kisses on her clavicle, causing shivers of anticipation down her spine.
They kissed for a long while before Ariadne fell asleep without a word. Arthur watched her stomach rise and fall, rise and fall, he could feel her cold breath on his arm.
He slowly and carefully got up and walked to the edge of the storehouse, opening the door. He yawned, running a hand through his hair and then delicately touching his lips where she had kissed him. He glanced back at Ariadne, she looked so small. Just a mess of dark hair, a red sweater and a leather jacket, her eyelashes fanned out across her pale cheeks. He took a deep breath and turned back towards the snowy aftermath of the storm, grinning despite himself. He closed his eyes and let out a long, shaky breath.
Holy shit...