Title: Lost In What We Keep
Author:

funknee
Rating: R?
Fandom: Inception
Shipping: Mostly Ariadne/Eames, Ariadne/Arthur.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Post-Inception. Ariadne hates herself for what she's doing, but she can't stop.
Notes: First Inception fic. Please be gentle.

The only thing better than watching the sun rise after a wild night, is watching the moon rise after a long exhausting day. Just sitting on top of the world, or in Ariadne’s case her Paris balcony, and really studying the moon as it entered the dusk sky. Breathing in the fresh, crisp air, the cool wind whipping all around her, and that sweet after taste of liquor still on her lips. If someone was looking in on her, they would think that she was one of the luckiest, and happiest girl in the world. They wouldn’t see an extremely talented architect who was feeling so damn low. Lately she’s been doing things that she would never imagine herself ever doing. She’s been living a lie and bringing everyone she knew down with her.

“I’m sorry,” she said into the wind. She could feel him watching her from the large glass doors. No doubt he was leaning against them in his robe, or maybe nothing at all, while holding a cigarette between his lips. “I can’t do this anymore,” she spoke. “I won’t.”

“You say that every time,” he says. Ariadne can hear him suck on his cigarette and exhale smoothly.

“I’m serious this time, Eames,” she says trying her hardest not to turn around and face him. She knew if she did, she would go back on everything she was saying now.

“Why end a good thing?” He asked. She could hear his cocky smirk in his words.

“What’re we getting out of this?” She asked, raising her voice just a bit. “This is going nowhere. We’re going nowhere. This will never be anything more than it is now.” She could hear him walking lazily behind her. She silently prayed that he had on something, anything. She saw his cigarette go flying over the balcony before she saw him. He leaned against the balcony next to her, his back to the striving world below. He craned his head to the right and stared at her. Ariadne took a quick glance at him. He was completely naked. She sighed.

“That’s because you won’t let it be something more, love,” he said pushing some hair behind her ear. Ariadne closed her eyes and just about purred at his touch.

“Why are you doing this to me?” She asked. Eames stood up straight and kissed the spot behind her ear. She just about fell into him.

“Tell me to stop, and I will.” Ariadne turned around and looked at him. His eyes seemed to have gotten brighter, his cheeks were flushed, and his lips were parted slightly. Ariadne cupped his face in her tiny hands and ran her thumb over his bottom lip.

“Please stop,” she sighed. Eames gave her a saddened smile before gently nipping at her thumb.

“Tell me to stop, and mean it, Ari,” he said. He had his massive hands now on her waist, pulling her closer. Ariadne just stared at him. The words were stuck in the back of her throat. Eames kissed her forehead. “Come back inside, love,” he said. Ariadne looked over her shoulder and down at the city below. Under the sheet she had draped over her shoulders, she was clutching her totem. Many times, she has thought about taking it, and chucking it over the balcony. She just wanted things to go back to the way they were before she met Cobb and his team.

“Ariadne,” Eames said as he placed and finger under her chin. She craned her neck up to look at him. He knelt down and placed a kiss on her cheek, and then on her lips. Ariadne wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed herself against him. Her sheet fell to the ground. Eames let his hands wander her naked body before he picked her up and walked her to the unmade bed.

“Good morning,” Ariadne smiled as she stepped inside the warehouse.

“Hmm, sweets,” Yusuf mumbled as he took the box full of pastries from Ariadne’s hands. “A very good morning now, thank you Ariadne.” Ariadne smiled as she set her bag down on her desk.

“I knew if anyone would appreciate them, you would,” she said.

“Clever girl,” he smiled as he went back to his work station. Ariadne looked around the warehouse. Seems some of the crew was missing.

“Where is everyone?” She asked.

“Well you know Mr. Eames is always fashionably late,” Yusuf said with a mouthful of sweets.

“And Arthur?” Yusuf said nothing and just motioned towards the back. There was a small room in the back where Arthur resided now. He would sit back there for hours working, not saying a word to anyone most days. Ariadne worried about him. Since the inception, everyone has tried as hard as they could to keep those days hidden away deep down inside them. Arthur was the only one who still dealt with it everyday. She could see the weight of everything that happened taking residence on his shoulders. She didn’t know how much longer he would be able to hold it all up.

“Arthur,” she said knocking on the door gently. He looked up at her and his entire face lit up.

“Good morning,” he smiled. She smiled back as she walked over to his desk and sat down on the edge.

“You’ve been here all night, haven’t you?” The light in his eyes immediately disappeared. He looked back down at the notes and files in front of him.

“I’ve got to make sure everything is perfect, Ariadne,” he sighed. “This is-”

“An extremely simple job,” she finished for him. “You need some rest.”

“Not until I know everything I need to. I can’t mess up again. No room for mistakes.” Ariadne looked down at him. The point man was a wreck.

“What good will all this information do, if you’re too damn tired when you get in the field?” She asked. “Go home, Arthur. Please.” Arthur looked up at her. Arthur has been tired since he took the job as the point man years ago. And he will be dead tired for as long as he sticks with this profession. He wanted to say all this to her, but the concerned look on her face changed his mind quickly. “I promise all this will be here tomorrow,” she smiled a little.

“Okay,” he sighed as he stood up. “I’ll go home.”

“Thank you,” Ariadne smiled. She watched him as he put on his jacket. She watched his eyes never leaving the files on his desk. Nothing made her sadder than to see him like this. Obsessed with and haunted by the past. He reached out to pick up the files, but before he got to them, Ariadne slammed her hand down on them. “Sleep,” was all she said. Arthur nodded.

“Sleep,” he repeated as he looked down at her. Ariadne stood up and placed a hand on his cheek.

“Promise me you’ll get some rest,” she said. Arthur turned his head and gave her palm a gentle peck.

“I’ll get some rest,” he said before placing a kiss on her forehead. He turned to leave, but Ariadne grabbed a hold of his tie and pulled him down closer to her.

“I’m not kidding, Arthur,” she warned.

“I know,” he smiled. “But I can’t leave until you let me.” Ariadne closed her eyes as he leaned towards her a little bit more. She could feel his lips hovering above her own when she heard deliberate stomping coming down the hallway. She opened her eyes just in time to see Eames stopping in the doorway.

“I’m sorry ladies, am I interrupting?” He asked. Ariadne wanted to pull off Arthur’s tie and wrap it around Eames’ neck.

“Good morning to you too, Eames,” Arthur said as he stood up. Ariadne stood up at his side.

“Come on,” she said to Arthur. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Leaving?” Eames asked as they brushed past him. Ariadne could hear the click-clacking sounds his expensive shoes were making as he followed them.

“Ari is making me go home and sleep,” Arthur explained.

“Oh, how thoughtful,” Eames said. “You’ve got a smart one, don’t ya Arthur?”

“Call me when you get home tonight,” Arthur said when at the warehouse door. “Let me know you got home safely.” Ariadne nodded. “Eames, you giving her a ride tonight?” Eames smiled wide and nodded.

“Ah, you know it.” Ariadne blushed as she looked at Arthur.

“Get home safe,” she smiled. Arthur planted a kiss on the top of her head and smiled.

“Bye,” he said. “See ya, Yusuf.”

Ariadne watched him walk away until he disappeared. As soon as he was out of sight, Ariadne slammed the door shut. She turned around and looked at Eames. At this moment she was filled with a number of emotions. She wasn't sure of which one was going to come out. “Eames,” she said.

He looked up at her. He was all smiles. He was just getting settled into his desk when she called him. “Yes, love?” Ariadne stole a glance at Yusuf before walking over to Eames.

“Nothing about that was cute,” she said.

“Oh, but you look just edible,” he whispered. Ariadne blushed even harder. She felt Eames grab her hand, and she knew she couldn’t resist, but she sure as hell tried.

“Just cut it out okay,” she said as she pulled her hand away from his.

“Whatever you say, darling,” Eames smiled.

Ariadne walked back to Arthur’s office and skimmed over all the papers and folders lying on his desk. She let out a heavy sigh when she picked up the file he tried to take with him. It wasn’t very thick, but it didn’t need to be. Arthur knew everything about this person already. At the top of the file, it was marked in Arthur’s handwriting as Dom Cobb.

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