closed to eames

[specifiercity]

Arthur's no stranger to this situation. He could probably navigate Eames' bathroom in the pitch dark at this point, but he throws on the lights anyway just to make sure he looks okay before he heads back out to Eames' bedroom and throws himself down on the bed. Sleeping here is just part of the routine now, and even if it weren't Eames' bed is too comfortable to leave immediately, plus the company isn't terrible.

Arthur's well aware that if anyone told him a year or two ago that he'd be making regular visits here and for this purpose he'd call them crazy, but here he is, and it's actually kind of nice. Their professional lives still stay completely separate but they don't fight nearly as much and it's nice to have someone around who you can just get to know. Arthur's pretty sure he knows that when he shoots Eames a sleepy but sly smile he'll get some kind of positive reaction even if it's just a grin in return as Arthur slips under the covers and makes himself comfortable.

Comments

[specifiercity]

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arthur asks, frowning but keeping his tone only a bit annoyed. He thinks he gets what Eames is saying (and it's bullshit) but he wants to give him a chance to explain himself before he jumps to conclusions.

[falsify]

"If--" and he's careful to say 'if', rather than make any assumptions on Arthur's part, "if you end up feeling something stronger, more serious... I don't think I'd be able to give you that. And I don't want you to miss something better because of it."

Eames pulls a face, because it feels like a bad thing to have sait, but here they are. "I guess I just got worried. I don't want this to be a problem for you further down the road."

[specifiercity]

"Maybe you can let me make my own problems," Arthur says. "And if I ever feel that way, and I want something from you that you can't give me... then I'll leave."

He says it with a shrug, like he's ready to do it tomorrow if he has to. He'd really rather not, but he doesn't want Eames treating him like a child who can't make his own decisions regarding his own happiness. He has the ability to do that, at least.

[falsify]

He doesn't know that he fully trusts Arthur to be fully cognisant and honest about his feelings, but he can't exactly go around second-guessing everything Arthur does.

Eames sighs and looks down, suddenly uncomfortable.

"I do need you to tell me if that ever happens," Eames says, less straightforward than he wants and more as if asking for something he doesn't want to be asking for. Probably because he implicitly is. "There's only so much I can be dishonest, I can't lie to you."

That's probably the heart of it; that he never entirely trusts any mortal to tell the truth. They're not bound by their word, incapable of telling falsehoods. The only thing keeping them honest is their conscience.

[specifiercity]

Arthur brings his hand to his face to rub at his eye tiredly as he sighs. "Okay," he says, "but you have to let me decide what is fulfilling and important in my life. I'm never going to be here out of obligation and I'll be honest with you if I think it's time for me to move on but... I don't think that's where we are right now."

[falsify]

"Okay." He nods, and he could say a lot on that topic, make a big deal of the fact that he's trusting Arthur to be honest here, but he doesn't. He just wants this to be over and go back to bed.

[specifiercity]

Arthur idly brushes his thumb along the handle of his mug. "Are we okay?"

[falsify]

"Yeah-- yeah." Eames nods, but he's still frowning and not looking at Arthur. "Sorry."

[specifiercity]

Arthur nods, but he doesn't like the look on Eames' face. "Will you be honest with me if we're not?"

[falsify]

"I will."

He hazards a look up at Arthur then, a light smirk but it's more self-effacing than it is amused or playful. He shrugs a shoulder, "just a bit embarrassed about all this, but I'll get over it."

[specifiercity]

Arthur lets out a dry laugh and then takes a sip of his coffee, holding back the comment he has about who should be more embarrassed. After a little while of the silence he raises an eyebrow at Eames.

"If we go up to bed you think you can keep your new power in check?"

[falsify]

"Yeah," Eames says, "I've been working on it quite a bit."

He now knows more about his neighbours than he ever wanted.

[specifiercity]

"Good," Arthur replies, nodding a moment before he gets up, bringing his coffee with him as he heads out of the kitchen and right up to Eames' room. He just wants to lay down for a while and maybe make out a bit. Even if they do nothing at all it's infinitely better than sitting at the kitchen table staring awkwardly at everything but each other.

[falsify]

Eames is very much on the same page, and he stands to follow Arthur. It's been an unnecessarily stressful couple of conversations and Eames has decided the way to move past it is to sit in Arthur’s lap with his coffee and kisd his face a bunch.

[specifiercity]

When they get upstairs Arthur sets his mug on the coffee table and starts undoing his shirt, because he may as well be in his underwear right? He doesn't even sit down until after he has his shirt and pants off, at which point he gets on the bed and props himself up enough to keep drinking his coffee.

[falsify]

Eames does the same, and as soon as he's down to his underwear he gets onto the bed and straddles Arthur, retrieving his coffee once he's comfortable. He doesn't say anything once he's there, just sips his coffee with the satisfaction only a man who buys fancy coffee direct from other countries can achieve.

[specifiercity]

Arthur puts his free hand on Eames' hip and hums happily.

"This is better."

[falsify]

He makes a soft noise to indicate he agrees, "much better."