[ Arthur watched him the whole way, eyes glued to Eames. That was certainly a distracting sight and Arthur swallowed thickly.
With a heavy sigh he refilled his glass and this time, he really did pound back the whole thing. He wasn't drunk enough for this. He was trying to explain to Eames that they were maybe sort of friends and Eames was busy removing his pants and Arthur's brain really couldn't handle that.
He sat to unlace his shoes and toe them off. They were too nice to risk getting wet and he left his socks and jacket inside with them, but when he stepped out onto the balcony, he was still in his slacks, shirt and waistcoat. ]
Social texting is more than anyone else gets.
[ The cement was cold against his bare feet and he didn't know how Eames could be comfortable naked with this breeze.]
[ Eames turned to consider Arthur, unashamed of his own nakedness
compared to Arthur's far more demure state. His toes curled at the edge of
the pool, the dips and rises of his musculature highlighted by the glare of
the city around them. ]
I suppose this makes me greedy then, but your standards.
[ Thighs flexed, launching him into the pool with a surprisingly quiet
splash. He surfaced a moment later, slicking back his hair and slowly
wading through the water back towards Arthur, highlighted blue from the
reflection of the pool. ]
[ Padding across the cold cement, Arthur stopped with his toes mere inches from the edge of the pool. ]
You're not greedy. I'm...
[ He hadn't even thought to, if he was honest. Arthur had never been a very social person even before he'd become a career criminal, but with the life he lead, he couldn't really afford friends. As it was, the closest thing he'd thought he'd had to a friend had nearly gotten them all killed for his own gain. Cobb's betrayal had really only cemented what a bad idea it was to have friends at all. ]
[ Eames stood at the edge, looking up at him. It wasn't that he didn't
understand. He did. Friends were a dangerous thing in their line of work,
the trust to easy to betray, take advantage of. It made links, lines that
their enemies could follow, or drag you down if things went sideways. There
was the logical part of him that said it was best to leave this as it was,
to not press further. But he was only a man, and even men could grow
lonely, could weary of having no one to confide in, however shallowly. He
had no illusions that he could whisper his deepest secrets to Arthur, but
he had the passing fancy they could at least share the knowledge and burden
of common experience. ]
For one, you can stop blocking my view.
[ He reached up, grabbing Arthur around his knees and hauling with the
strength of his back to topple the man over him and into the water behind.
He let go quickly and pushed off the wall, out of the way of any flailing,
lips spread in a smug, wicked grin. ]
[ Arthur wanted to be more angry, but he'd taken off his shoes for a reason. This was going to be a hefty dry cleaning bill just to prove to Eames that they were, well, maybe not quite friends, but friend-adjacent.
Once he was finished with what he would like to say was some very understandable and dignified flailing, he righted himself and swam after Eames, weighed down by his clothing.
He grabbed for Eames' wrist, trying to ignore the fact that Eames was naked. ]
You're paying for my dry cleaning.
[ It wasn't about the money or even the principal. He just wasn't sure what else to say. ]
[ Eames let himself be caught, pushing off the bottom to move Arthur
back against the wall of the pool. He didn't quite press flush, leaving a
few inches of space, enough for Arthur to escape if he wanted to. ]
I'm good for it, I'm sure.
[ He leaned his head in, scant millimeters separating them, close
enough that their breath mingled. ]
[ Arthur didn't try to move away, but he did duck his head to try to get some semblance of his own air. ]
You don't have to sleep with me to keep me around.
[ In fact Arthur would really prefer if he didn't. He didn't need more complications in his professional life. Eames, for all their bickering, was one of the simpler things there. Arthur trusted him to be steady and do his job well. He trusted Eames to keep him alive, something even Dom Cobb had failed to really live up to. ]
[ Had Eames been a lesser man, he would have pressed it further. He
would have crushed his body against Arthur's, ravaged his mouth, made him
want it. But Eames wasn't a lesser man, for all he could play one just
fine. ]
So you are.
[ He brushed his lips across Arthur's temple, fingers smoothing the
wet strands of hair tenderly before he pushed away from him, turning to
near float on his back in the water. Who could say how much of both those
gestures had been calculated? He wasn't sure himself, though he knew it
wasn't 100%. To much filled the space of those inches between them for him
to play his old tricks, to separate himself neatly and coldly like taking
off one of his dream forms. ]
Since you're wet you might as well enjoy the pool while we have it. I paid
for the night.
[ The gestures were meaningless. That was one thing Arthur was sure of because he had to be and because this was Eames. He didn't react until Eames was already floating away, turning his eyes back on the man with a slightly strained smile. ]
You could have asked me to come without pretense. I would have.
[ He wanted to be a little insulted that Eames thought it was necessary, but mostly it just made him curious.
Trying to banish those thoughts for later, he unbuttoned his waistcoat and then his shirt. Eventually everything he was wearing was a sopping pile on the side of the pool, safe for the boxer-briefs that he kept on, not that those left much to the imagination when they were this wet. ]
One likes to have assurances, darling. I can never be to sure with you.
[ A true enough fact. It was easy to predict almost everyone else
around him, pick off their ticks, their habits, break down their
physiological reactions and relationships. Arthur was harder, as was almost
everyone in their line of work. They had all learned to hide things so well
to keep themselves from being invaded when they were linked so intimately
through the dreams, leaned how to lock away their secrets and bury them
deep.
Eames glided through the water back to Arthur, floating in a tight circle
around him, fingers reaching out to glide across the hem of his underwear.
]
[ Arthur swatted at the hands in the water, but there was a small smile creeping onto his face. Eames was charming, Arthur could give him that, at least. Bastard. Arthur had every right to be mad, but he had a hard time maintaining it when Eames was swimming around him, naked and prodding. ]
Someone has to maintain some sense of modesty in the face of your ego.
[ And then, because he could, he splashed at Eames. ]
[ Arthur let out a frustrated sound, but it was undermined by his obvious attempt to not laugh as he grabbed at Eames' wrists. This really wasn't fair. Eames was naked and there wasn't really a safe place to grab. ]
Who says I want to be remembered for swimming naked with men?
Do you wish to be remembered instead as the man to frightened to take off
his pants?
[ He let Arthur catch him, chuckling low in his throat, slipping
closer to him, tangling their legs. His free hand darted down, plucking at
the elastic again, brushing over the smooth belly. ]
[ With a hard flail, Arthur only managed to tip himself into the water against Eames' weight. He barely managed a breath before his head went under and then resurfaced. ]
Eames!
[ There was still a measure of laughter in his voice as he shoved at Eames. ]
[ He chuckled, unafraid to let the sound loose. Arms slipped around
Arthur's waist, pressing up behind him, solid muscle to svelte frame. He
bent his head, kissing his shoulder. ]
[ Arthur went stiff in his arms, but there was an almost imperceptible change after a moment, not quite relaxing, but almost as if he was fighting the urge to. He didn't try to shove Eames off. If he was honest with himself, he didn't want to, much as he lamented the idea of this complication. ]
Why must I always be trying to accomplish something?
[ Fingers stroked feather light across his arms, dipped beneath the
water to run across his sides, trace the fine lines of his stomach to cup
his hips, hold him close without trapping him. ]
[ But Arthur couldn't help closing his eyes. He stayed where he was, Eames' hands on him like an anchor, whether Eames realized it or not. Eames was setting them on a dangerous path with those touches and Arthur wasn't sure that he had it in him to resist. ]
[ A dangerous path, one worth exploring. One they had entertained more
than once, caught up in the rush of a job, that aching thing called
loneliness. He bent his head, plush lips stroking a path over Arthur's
shoulder, up the swan like length of his neck, nearly as pale. Arthur made
for a beautiful man, in Eame's estimation, the sort the master's of old
would have fought each for the right to have him be their muse. ]
So tell me what you think I'm after then. You always tell me you know me so
well.
[ Slowly, Arthur relaxed against Eames' body. Eames had a real knack for making Arthur forget himself and this close, it was easy to drown a little in that. Arthur's hand slipped back to grip Eames' hip. ]
You already told me that you want me to stay.
[ Something that was more tempting to indulge in by the minute, but the last thing Arthur wanted to do was lie to Eames. He wasn't going to promise something he couldn't deliver. ]
[ Honest words, but words he could afford to be honest with. Jobs were
jobs. They were safe to speak about, business and nothing more. But beneath
the simple words lay another truth - that he would be leaving. Going
somewhere, and who knew how far away for how long. Nothing in their
relationship said either of them ever had to tell where they were going,
only some strange, unspoken arrangement letting them know when they shared
a city. ]
[ He was already tipping his head to the side, giving Eames easier access to his neck. This was stupid. It was monumentally stupid, but Arthur couldn't completely deny that he wanted it anyway. ]
[ Plush lips pressed to his ear, teeth squeezing tender flesh to
pinkness. He moved behind it to suck, pulling with his lips, the tip of his
tongue tracing wild patterns across his skin. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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keepcruising2015-04-04 09:09 pm
no subject
With a heavy sigh he refilled his glass and this time, he really did pound back the whole thing. He wasn't drunk enough for this. He was trying to explain to Eames that they were maybe sort of friends and Eames was busy removing his pants and Arthur's brain really couldn't handle that.
He sat to unlace his shoes and toe them off. They were too nice to risk getting wet and he left his socks and jacket inside with them, but when he stepped out onto the balcony, he was still in his slacks, shirt and waistcoat. ]
Social texting is more than anyone else gets.
[ The cement was cold against his bare feet and he didn't know how Eames could be comfortable naked with this breeze.]
no subject
[ Eames turned to consider Arthur, unashamed of his own nakedness compared to Arthur's far more demure state. His toes curled at the edge of the pool, the dips and rises of his musculature highlighted by the glare of the city around them. ]
I suppose this makes me greedy then, but your standards.
[ Thighs flexed, launching him into the pool with a surprisingly quiet splash. He surfaced a moment later, slicking back his hair and slowly wading through the water back towards Arthur, highlighted blue from the reflection of the pool. ]
no subject
You're not greedy. I'm...
[ He hadn't even thought to, if he was honest. Arthur had never been a very social person even before he'd become a career criminal, but with the life he lead, he couldn't really afford friends. As it was, the closest thing he'd thought he'd had to a friend had nearly gotten them all killed for his own gain. Cobb's betrayal had really only cemented what a bad idea it was to have friends at all. ]
I don't know what else I can offer you.
no subject
[ Eames stood at the edge, looking up at him. It wasn't that he didn't understand. He did. Friends were a dangerous thing in their line of work, the trust to easy to betray, take advantage of. It made links, lines that their enemies could follow, or drag you down if things went sideways. There was the logical part of him that said it was best to leave this as it was, to not press further. But he was only a man, and even men could grow lonely, could weary of having no one to confide in, however shallowly. He had no illusions that he could whisper his deepest secrets to Arthur, but he had the passing fancy they could at least share the knowledge and burden of common experience. ]
For one, you can stop blocking my view.
[ He reached up, grabbing Arthur around his knees and hauling with the strength of his back to topple the man over him and into the water behind. He let go quickly and pushed off the wall, out of the way of any flailing, lips spread in a smug, wicked grin. ]
no subject
Once he was finished with what he would like to say was some very understandable and dignified flailing, he righted himself and swam after Eames, weighed down by his clothing.
He grabbed for Eames' wrist, trying to ignore the fact that Eames was naked. ]
You're paying for my dry cleaning.
[ It wasn't about the money or even the principal. He just wasn't sure what else to say. ]
no subject
[ Eames let himself be caught, pushing off the bottom to move Arthur back against the wall of the pool. He didn't quite press flush, leaving a few inches of space, enough for Arthur to escape if he wanted to. ]
I'm good for it, I'm sure.
[ He leaned his head in, scant millimeters separating them, close enough that their breath mingled. ]
no subject
You don't have to sleep with me to keep me around.
[ In fact Arthur would really prefer if he didn't. He didn't need more complications in his professional life. Eames, for all their bickering, was one of the simpler things there. Arthur trusted him to be steady and do his job well. He trusted Eames to keep him alive, something even Dom Cobb had failed to really live up to. ]
I'm here.
no subject
[ Had Eames been a lesser man, he would have pressed it further. He would have crushed his body against Arthur's, ravaged his mouth, made him want it. But Eames wasn't a lesser man, for all he could play one just fine. ]
So you are.
[ He brushed his lips across Arthur's temple, fingers smoothing the wet strands of hair tenderly before he pushed away from him, turning to near float on his back in the water. Who could say how much of both those gestures had been calculated? He wasn't sure himself, though he knew it wasn't 100%. To much filled the space of those inches between them for him to play his old tricks, to separate himself neatly and coldly like taking off one of his dream forms. ]
Since you're wet you might as well enjoy the pool while we have it. I paid for the night.
no subject
You could have asked me to come without pretense. I would have.
[ He wanted to be a little insulted that Eames thought it was necessary, but mostly it just made him curious.
Trying to banish those thoughts for later, he unbuttoned his waistcoat and then his shirt. Eventually everything he was wearing was a sopping pile on the side of the pool, safe for the boxer-briefs that he kept on, not that those left much to the imagination when they were this wet. ]
no subject
One likes to have assurances, darling. I can never be to sure with you.
[ A true enough fact. It was easy to predict almost everyone else around him, pick off their ticks, their habits, break down their physiological reactions and relationships. Arthur was harder, as was almost everyone in their line of work. They had all learned to hide things so well to keep themselves from being invaded when they were linked so intimately through the dreams, leaned how to lock away their secrets and bury them deep.
Eames glided through the water back to Arthur, floating in a tight circle around him, fingers reaching out to glide across the hem of his underwear. ]
No need to be shy, darling.
no subject
Someone has to maintain some sense of modesty in the face of your ego.
[ And then, because he could, he splashed at Eames. ]
no subject
[ Eyes squeezed shut on instinct, the Brit snorting and sloshing a way at water at the other man. ]
Modesty never saw men into the annals of history!
[ He shook his head, darting back in to snap the band of Arthur's underwear beneath the surface. ]
no subject
Who says I want to be remembered for swimming naked with men?
no subject
Do you wish to be remembered instead as the man to frightened to take off his pants?
[ He let Arthur catch him, chuckling low in his throat, slipping closer to him, tangling their legs. His free hand darted down, plucking at the elastic again, brushing over the smooth belly. ]
no subject
Eames!
[ There was still a measure of laughter in his voice as he shoved at Eames. ]
Why are you trying to get me naked?
no subject
Wouldn't you be insulted if I wasn't trying?
[ He began circling him again, glancing his fingers across his back and stomach, thighs bumping against him as he treaded the water. ]
no subject
[ He tried to grab at Eames again, this time more careful of his balance. There was barely contained laughter in his voice. ]
Get back here, Eames.
no subject
[ He chuckled, unafraid to let the sound loose. Arms slipped around Arthur's waist, pressing up behind him, solid muscle to svelte frame. He bent his head, kissing his shoulder. ]
You called?
no subject
What are you trying to accomplish here?
no subject
Why must I always be trying to accomplish something?
[ Fingers stroked feather light across his arms, dipped beneath the water to run across his sides, trace the fine lines of his stomach to cup his hips, hold him close without trapping him. ]
no subject
[ But Arthur couldn't help closing his eyes. He stayed where he was, Eames' hands on him like an anchor, whether Eames realized it or not. Eames was setting them on a dangerous path with those touches and Arthur wasn't sure that he had it in him to resist. ]
no subject
[ A dangerous path, one worth exploring. One they had entertained more than once, caught up in the rush of a job, that aching thing called loneliness. He bent his head, plush lips stroking a path over Arthur's shoulder, up the swan like length of his neck, nearly as pale. Arthur made for a beautiful man, in Eame's estimation, the sort the master's of old would have fought each for the right to have him be their muse. ]
So tell me what you think I'm after then. You always tell me you know me so well.
no subject
You already told me that you want me to stay.
[ Something that was more tempting to indulge in by the minute, but the last thing Arthur wanted to do was lie to Eames. He wasn't going to promise something he couldn't deliver. ]
no subject
I have another job lined up.
[ Honest words, but words he could afford to be honest with. Jobs were jobs. They were safe to speak about, business and nothing more. But beneath the simple words lay another truth - that he would be leaving. Going somewhere, and who knew how far away for how long. Nothing in their relationship said either of them ever had to tell where they were going, only some strange, unspoken arrangement letting them know when they shared a city. ]
My flight's tomorrow evening.
no subject
[ He was already tipping his head to the side, giving Eames easier access to his neck. This was stupid. It was monumentally stupid, but Arthur couldn't completely deny that he wanted it anyway. ]
no subject
Do you want me to say it?
[ Plush lips pressed to his ear, teeth squeezing tender flesh to pinkness. He moved behind it to suck, pulling with his lips, the tip of his tongue tracing wild patterns across his skin. ]
no subject
In detail.