Deception (Inception, Eames/Arthur)

He first meets Eames on a job in Mumbai. Cobb had worked with both of them previously, but never together and Arthur finds the uncertainty of this new element on their team unsettling. He finds Eames unsettling, from the first moment they set eyes on each other and Eames turns to Cobb and says “You didn’t tell me he was handsome” in that thick accented voice that does strange things to Arthur’s insides.

Arthur is straight by default and for a very, very brief second he questions that default setting. But there’s a job to do and he barely knows Eames at that point, so he ignores the comment and gets straight to business outlining their plan. It’s that first initial exchange that would define the course of their relationship, or lack thereof, for years to come.

The job itself is simple. They have a mark, a security guard who had the misfortune of attracting the attention of some very wealthy people with cash to burn who want into the building he was guarding. The man had numerous vices, numerous ways that they could use him to reveal information. He was a gambler, a drunkard, a womanizer, and a hedonist. Arthur detailed the approach. They would use a bar setup, make him think that he was drinking the night away, and get him to confide in the bartender. Arthur had mapped out the bar, Cobb would build it, and Eames would play the bartender.

“I’ve got a better idea, darling.” Eames was looking right at him as the endearment slipped his lips. Arthur bristled. “You,” his finger poked against Arthur’s chest, “play the bartender, and I’ll”, the finger pulled away, leaving a searing point of warmth that didn’t want to fade, “get the information an easier way.”

“There isn’t an easier way.” Arthur regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Eames was baiting him, and they both knew it.