Chapter Text
Arthur [REDACTED] was a prodigy. He was chosen before he even graduated high school to participate in the trials of Project Somnacin. He was the first to figure out what was actually happening, teaming up with a foreign soldier to coordinate a successful op that had quite literally been designed for failure.
Arthur was able to keep time even within the dream, and manipulate the world into endless paradoxes as needed. The soldier he worked with was an expert in humanity and infiltration. [REDACTED] Eames was brought into the trials for his skills in both combat and leadership. He was able to read the people he worked with like no other, and encourage or manipulate them as he needed or desired. In the world of dreams, he was able to completely change his appearance.
Together, they changed the entire project.
This didn't change the unaccounted for consequences to it. Somnacin was an experimental drug. The soldiers selected to take part could still feel pain within the dream. Eventually, one of the soldiers lost touch with reality and killed three of his comrades, wounding several others, before killing himself. After that, the various governments involved in the joint project collectively decided that it was too risky, and shut it down.
All the soldiers involved signed an absurd amount of NDAs before being honourably discharged. If a PASIV device went missing? Well the higher ups were too busy tryng to sweep it all under a rug to notice.
Six months after Project Somnacin was shut down found a young man who barely looked 17 walking through the streets of London with an umbrella held above his head with one hand, a silver briefcase in the other. He walked up to a standard townhouse and knocked firmly three times.
There was some disgruntled British muttering before the door opened. Eames took in the younger man on his doorstep. A far cry from the army fatigues, Arthur was lithe in pressed slacks, button up, and blazer. His height leant itself to the slim figure presented.
"Is it my birthday already? I have to say, you make a delicious gift, Darling."
Arthur flushed but cleared his throat.
"May I come in? I have something you might be interested in."
"Oh I'd say you have more than one thing I'm interested in," Eames teased further even as he stood aside to let the younger man in out of the chilly London air.
6 Years Later
Arthur hung up the phone with a sigh. Cobb had a new job lined up for them. Apparently the man already had an architect in mind for it, just needed some background checks, no forger needed, apparently. Not that Cobb knew Arthur and Eames were close to each other, let alone actual partners.
"What is Cobb dragging you into this time?"
"Job for Cobol Engineering."
"What is he doing taking a job for those pricks?" Eames questioned, grabbing Arthur's hand to pull him closer as the younger man re-entered the room.
It was a rare day that Arthur slept in, waking to a line of kisses being pressed to the slope of his neck by the British man. He didn't even change into his usual slacks and button down, sticking to sweatpants and one of Eames' old army t-shirts. Neither of them had any plans for the day. Then Dominic Cobb just had to call the best Point Man in the dream business.
"You know exactly what he's doing, he's trying to buy his way back stateside. Apparently this job for Cobol will pay well."
"Yeah, because they have the cash to spend towards pawns to get their dirty work done, and other pawns to get rid of the first ones should the dirty work go sideways."
Arthur sighed again, melting into his partner. They both knew that Dom had been slipping since Mal died, taking higher risk jobs. That wasn't even considering how withdrawn he'd become, and his refusal to work as an architect. It was clear there were things happening in that man's mind that weren't conducive to safe business practices.
"Well, what do you want me to do? Leave Dom to get himself killed? I am his children's godfather. I don't want to have to share the news that their father got himself killed the next time I visit."
Eames grimaced.
"Fine. But while you go, wherever Cobb is calling you to, I'll head to Mombasa. It's Cobol's backyard so I should be able to keep an ear out and give you plenty of warning if they spook."
The younger man hummed low, soaking in the comfort of his partner. Arthur prided himself on his abilities; his efficiency, professionalism, and how he was competent enough to get by on his own. All that being said, with Eames, he could let his guard down. He didn't need to be sharp 24/7.
He would miss it during this next job.
Arthur was already on edge. Their architect was still green enough to be twitchy, he had a relatively good reputation but had so far stuck to smaller gigs seemingly for the thrill. It wasn't the best situation, but his skill had thus far made up for it.
Despite Arthur's misgivings, everything was going relatively well. Until Mal showed up. Saito caught on to the dream but they could work with that. What Arthur couldn't work with was his dead friend shooting him in the knee. He had to push down a surge of anger. The real Mal was a lovely woman. Dom's projection was an insult to her. Shoving that anger into a little box inside, Arthur fell into the headshot from Dom, waking up in Saito's secret apartment.
"Give him the kick!" Arthur called from the other room.
The instruction was calm, habit. It almost made him roll his eyes when immediately contrasted with the architect's frantic demeanor.
"What?!"
"Dunk him."
It was moments like these that he wished Eames was there. They snarked like nobody's business, but they worked well together.
Nash was too jumpy and green. Even with Cobb coming out of the deeper dream, the job was done for. Nash messed up the apartment, and Cobol Engineering now had a price on all their heads.
Eames was not surprised to be contacted not long after the Cobol job went down, though he was surprised by the person that showed up. Rather than his darling Arthur, Dom Cobb waltzed up behind him during a mediocre game that Eames had no qualms leaving in favour of following the man.
The new job was interesting, he had to admit. It would also give him the opportunity to watch Arthur's back. Interesting as inception may be, it was by no means easy or simple. If the rumours of Cobb breaking down were true, Eames wouldn't have Arthur going down with the ship here.
"Arthur. Still working with that stick-in-the-mud?"
"He's good at what he does."
"Oh, he's the best. He's got no imagination though."
"Not like you."
The blatant flattery was either amusing or infuriating and Eames couldn't quite decide which.
"Alright, who's the target?"
"Son of the dying CEO of the Fischer Morrow Energy Conglomerate."