Hidden Depths (Inception, Eames/Arthur)

“Don’t touch anything.” It’s a futile command, but he feels slightly better having said it. At least then, when Eames inevitably does touch something, Arthur has the moral high ground of ‘I told you so’ when he starts yelling.

Arthur’s flat is spotless, the sort of military neat that stuck with him after his time in the armed forces. At this point it’s ingrained, though he knows himself well enough to see the early signs of his neatness as far back as his early childhood. It’s not quite OCD, more habit than necessity and he likes the habit too much to bother changing it.

“Nice place.” He glances over at Eames but the forger’s eyes are elsewhere, taking in the simple décor. “Classy. Simple. I like it.”

He’s not surprised at Eames’s appreciation, but he does feel a bit of validation. Eames is the first person he’s let in here, aside from Dom, and Eames’s presence here is a statement, one that leaves Arthur nervous and twitching. He’s reluctant to leave Eames alone but at the same time he feels an almost urgent need to pretend that everything’s normal and ignore Eames. It’s futile. He could never ignore Eames. He’s the incandescent bulb to Arthur’s fly and the only saving grace to their relationship is that he’s yet to get burnt.

His jacket slides from his shoulders as he steps into the bedroom. His senses are on high alert, even as his body goes through the familiar motions of relaxation. The jacket is placed on a hanger. He’d left the door cracked, closed enough to give him privacy and open enough that he could still hear Eames moving around. So far Eames stays in the living room and there’s enough hints of Arthur’s personality in that one room to keep Eames busy for days.