A Soul Awake pt6 WIP

[tabi_essentially]

Eames waited until Arthur had had his fill of peeking into the bedroom before he slipped out of the bed. He watched Arthur from the doorway as he searched around the hotel room. Watched him as he looked in the kitchenette, checked the liquor cabinet, and went over to the computer. Eames didn't know if he was alarmed or amused by the prospect of Arthur looking at his browser history.

Amused, he finally decided.

Who did this kid think he was, anyway? Spiderman, climbing up the balconies like that? In his stupid black sweatpants? And how had he gotten through the goddamn locked window?

Point man. Ah. All at once, it came together. He may have been the Cobbs' point man, but he did work directly for SomniCore. Eames realized he was looking at the man who had tracked him for years. That vague SomniCore presence that always seemed to breathe down his back. A hack into his computer here. A stolen file there. It was him. It was Arthur.

Eames cast about the room for something suitable to startle Arthur, who was now leaning over the computer desk going through the history. He settled on his own mp3 charger, the one that plugged into a car outlet. He didn't make a sound as he slid up behind Arthur and pressed the round, metal plug to the back of his neck.

"What are you doing here, Arthur?" he asked.

To Arthur's credit, he didn't jump. He just went entirely still – calm, maybe, although Eames couldn't see his face.

"I could disarm you," Arthur finally said, "if I thought that was a real gun." But he remained bent over, as if waiting for permission to straighten up.

Eames chuckled and put the charger down. Arthur turned around. His dark eyes were hooded and unreadable. A startling difference from the "aww shucks Mrs. Cobb" boy he'd seen earlier.

How to bell this cat?

"Why did you take my phone, Mr. Eames?"

"I thought it was an mp3 player. Why did you take my teacup this afternoon?"

"I wanted to lift your fingerprints and run them. What would you want with an mp3 player? It's not even expensive."

"I didn't take it for that," Eames said. "I wanted to see what kind of music you liked. Why did you want my fingerprints?"

"To see what sort of criminal you were," Arthur answered. "I had an idea of who you were, and I was right. You could have just asked me what kind of music I liked."

"You could have asked me what sort of criminal I am. Would you have told me about Megadeth?"

Arthur shrugged, but smiled a little. "Does it matter?"

Eames flopped into the cushy chair across from the computer desk. "What kind of criminal am I, Mr. Arceneau? Since you've followed me for so long."

Arthur leaned back against the desk, his palms braced against it. "A predictable one."

Eames raised his eyebrows. "Predictable? Okay – that hurts."

"No, I don't mean it in a bad way. You just aren't out of control. We dream together. I needed to know you weren't violent or insane."

"Did I pass inspection?"

"That's not up to me."

"Ahh, the attractive Cobbs."

Arthur frowned slightly at the suggestion, then decided to ignore it. "Mal's the boss. Her word is final. Look, Mr. Eames. It's not a big secret that you've gone directly against NDS in the past. I mean, you took legitimate work from us. I need to do my job. Why are you looking to work with us now? I need a little honesty. You'd be selling out the people you worked for in the past. Our rivals."

Eames regarded him silently, looking for a trace of deceit. He discovered that he couldn't find one. The kid wasn't guileless, but he was being very clear. "Well, loyalties can shift," Eames said.

"Mine won't, when it comes to the Cobbs. Not ever."

He had to smile at that. "No, I suppose they won't." Eames sighed and glanced at the clock. Damn, he had to be up soon. "Listen, Mr. Arceneau..."

"I've just broken into your room. Arthur is fine."

"Then, Arthur. It's too late for you to be heading back to your hotel. I suggest we both get some sleep. Please take the sofa?"

"I'll be fine getting home."

"Yes, you're not going to get mugged or anything," Eames said, indulging him. "But you may as well stay. We've only got a few hours anyway."

"I don't have any clothes."

"I'm assuming you're at the MacDonald Randolph. Just get dressed tomorrow before the final interview. Do stay, Arthur. You're already put me on edge by breaking into my hotel room through a goddamn fifth storey window."

That earned him a small upwards twitch of Arthur's already naturally upturned mouth. "Don't steal any of my phones again."

"'Any of?' Dare I even ask how many you've got?"

"A few. But only one with my real name and email, Mr. Eames, and that one is not in your possession. All right, I'll stay." He pushed himself off the desk he'd been leaning on and stretched the smooth lines of his body taut.

"And your real musical tastes?" Eames asked, moving aside so Arthur could sit on the sofa.

"No, I really do like Megadeth," he said.

"Ah, good. I'm glad. Care for a cup of tea?"

"Thanks, but no. Wish I could." Arthur sat back on the sofa, at ease. "I can't eat or drink before going under."

"Not sure how I feel about this compound."

"I'm not sure how I feel about it, either," Arthur said. His voice had gone slightly darker, and he looked away from Eames. "Thanks for the sofa, Mr. Eames. I appreciate it."

"Least I could do after lifting your phone. You'd make a good thief yourself, you know."

"I do know," Arthur said. And didn't expand on that. Then he laughed quietly. "Sofa," he said. "Eames. Furniture."

"You're tired," Eames said. He struggled to resist patting Arthur's hair. "I'll get you a blanket and pillow. Fluffy or firm?" Eames guessed firm, for this spare, unyeilding point man.

"Firm, please," Arthur said, yawning.

I really am the best there is, Eames thought, satisfied.


PART SEVEN

Comments

[strzyga.livejournal.com]

oh, this chapter is awesome :) i love their interactions, and how much eames has guessed about arthur and just how much he doesn't actually know.

[sho-no-tabi.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your comment; you don't know how exciting it is for me to get comments; or maybe you do. :D

I juts put up the next part and will try hard to get the one after that up, too, if I can manage before I have to run out of the house today. ^_^

Thank you with much kisses!