A Soul Awake pt 20/20

( L'espoir est le rêve d'une âme éveillée. )

Author's Note:

So, I thought about doing some kind of little addendum or epilogue to this, but it never ends nicely, does it? I wondered, as I was writing this, how I could justify them being so fond of each other pre-Inception. Because I was filling a prompt, one which asked for a fic in which Arthur and Eames actually liked each other when they met - and I agreed that they would really be polite, because they were both professional. But canon actually has them being snarky, sexy bitches to each other. And you can clearly see their rivalry and one-up-manship.

So I wondered, what might have happened between a scenario like this one--where they kind of bond--and the movie, where they kind of just snark at each other?

And all I could come up with to justify the change was Mal's death. Arthur would be angry at everything, Eames would be resentful, and even though they obviously still respect each other and probably dig each other's work - and maybe are still kinda hot for each other - they would have that edge.

And then I decided that writing an epilogue where it all goes to hell when Mal dies was way too sad.

Maybe one time I'll write a post-Inception fic where they kinda work it out, and then I remembered that I pretty much already did, sort of. Because "Come Back With Me" is post-Inception and sort of explores them actually liking each other again. (It's another h/c story because h/c is like my chronic and most beloved disease. ;) )

Thank you to everyone who read this story. It means the world to me that some of you liked it. :D