Work Text:
When Arthur is introduced to Eames his first thought is, There is no way I’m going to be able to work with this asshole! His third thought is, Damn those lips though!
When Eames meets Arthur his initial thought is, Oh shit... because sometimes you can just tell right off the bat that you’re done for. His second thought is, Bloody Hell but you’re a condescending little wanker!
••••
They’ve barely known each other a day when Arthur shoves Eames hard in the heat of an argument. He’s not expecting Eames’ fist to connect squarely with his jaw in retaliation. Eames hits him like he means it – like a thug in a bar fight and it makes Arthur’s head spin. They both take a step back and look at each other for a long startled moment, breathing hard, fists clenched, eyes flashing murderously, before dropping it and walking away – both afraid of going too far.
They’ve barely known each other a week when Eames shoves Arthur up against a wall in frustration. He’s not expecting Arthur to crush his mouth against his in return – a bruising, biting kiss, fierce enough to make his head spin. They both pull away and look at each other for a long startled moment, breathing hard, fists clenched, eyes flashing with lust, before dropping it and walking away – both afraid to push it too far.
••••
The first person Arthur shoots in a dream is Eames. It’s during a training exercise for Project Somnacin. He wakes up and can taste bile in his throat. Knows those images will plague his nightmares for the rest of his life. Later he will hold back bitter tears and confess to Eames that the first time he had to kill someone he was not dreaming and the guy fucking deserved it.
The first person Eames watches die in a dream is Arthur. It’s during a training exercise for Project Somnacin. He feels faint when he wakes. Knows he will watch Arthur die over and over in nightmares for the rest of his life. Later he will hold back bitter tears while he confesses to Arthur that the first time he had to watch someone die it had been real life and the girl hadn’t fucking deserved it.
••••
‘Do you always just casually flirt with everything that moves?’ Arthur asks, exasperated.
‘Don’t worry darling’, Eames grins, ‘Just because I’m flirting with you doesn’t mean I find you attractive. In all honesty I’m probably just bored...’
‘Are you always such a sarcastic little prick?’ Eames fumes.
‘Don't worry darling’, Arthur mocks the British accent. ‘If I’m extra sarcastic with you it probably means I’m flirting... Either that or you infuriate me and I can’t handle your shit’, Arthur quips with a wink – ‘Have fun figuring out which’.
••••
When Arthur leaves the military he goes AWOL. He disappears with a stolen PASIV case and a price on his head. Makes a living selling secrets and stealing dreams. To begin with Eames tries to keep tabs on him, but Arthur is good and he soon loses any trace.
Eames leaves the military with a dishonourable discharge. He drifts, with wounded pride and plenty of people out for revenge. Makes a living selling dreams and stealing secrets. Arthur could keep tabs on him if he wanted to but he doesn’t try.
••••
Arthur comes face to face with Eames again three years later as they stare down the barrel of each other’s guns. The dawning realisation that they have unknowingly been each other’s mark for the last month is both infuriating and comical. They resolve to forget the job and catch up over a drink or two in some dead end bar. ‘Maybe we can get drunk and ignore the sexual tension and continue to pretend were not interested in each other’, thinks Arthur.
It’s been three years since Eames last saw Arthur and now they’re both looking down the wrong end of the other’s gun. The dawning realisation that they have each been the other’s mark for the last month is both maddening and hilarious. They resolve to forget the job and catch up over a drink or two in some hole in the wall pub. ‘Maybe we can get drunk and finally stop ignoring this sexual tension’, thinks Eames.
••••
When they eventually do fuck for the first time Arthur is pleasantly surprised to find that Eames isn’t how he would have expected him to be. Given his usual demeanour Arthur had half expected Eames’ clumsy cockiness to spill over into the bedroom. Instead he finds Eames intense, passionate; gentle even – all long sure strokes and careful deliberate movements. Eames kisses him slowly, tenderly. Arthur would have expected Eames to be a noisy fuck, no inhibitions. So when Eames comes; head tipped forward, face buried in Arthur’s shoulder and trying to suppress his groan Arthur feels his world shatter.
When they finally do fuck Eames is surprised to find that Arthur isn’t at all how he would have thought he’d be. Given his usual demeanour Eames had half expected Arthur’s cool clinicalness to spill over into the bedroom. Instead he finds Arthur intense, passionate, wild even – rough and desperate and completely uninhibited. Arthur kisses him and it's messy, frantic. Eames was expecting Arthur to be reserved in bed, to hold back. So when Arthur comes; head thrown back, fisting Eames’ hair and letting out a loud moan Eames feels his world shatter.
••••
They are working an extraction job together when Arthur punches their architect for daring to suggest that Eames has sold them out. In the midst of the architect raging that Eames is an untrustworthy thief, Arthur delivers a swift upper cut and turns on his heel. As their architect stands dumbfounded and spitting blood, Arthur storms out and Eames realises he might just be a little bit in love.
They’re running for their lives from a job that has gone to shit when Eames watches Arthur take a bullet – and they’re not dreaming now – Arthur isn’t simply going to wake up if he dies. Eames presses hard with all his weight to the wound on Arthur’s shoulder. His flippant ‘It’s just a scratch pet’ at odds with the deathly shade of grey his face has gone and Arthur realises he might just be a little bit in love.
••••
‘You alright?!?!’ Arthur yells from the front of the hijacked cab.
‘Yeah I’m ok - I’m ok...’ and Eames can barely hide his bewilderment as he realises that Arthur might just love him back. ‘And Fischer’s ok. Unless he gets carsick...’
‘Just be back before the kick’, Eames implores, and it dawns on Arthur that Eames just might love him in return. He can barely keep the grin from his face as he replies, ‘Go to sleep Mr Eames'.
••••