unconventionaltechniques | Arthur and Eames

Arthur and Eames

Arthur and Eames have been partners for longer than they've been with the organization. Both started out as criminals in two different fields, but the word of dream sharing brought them together. Arthur, a brilliant tactician, and Eames, a forger in every sense and meaning of the word, started out almost adversarial. One crisp and sharp with a military precision and the other messy and wild and dangerous in other ways they found it interesting to work with one another, to say the least.

In the end though they learned that friction between them was all about attraction and once they opened up to one another, the world for them changed.

Now they've walked away from dream share to work for an organization that keeps America safe, protects its people, and lets them do what they do best. Subvert criminals by twisting the law.

Everyone knows they're not just partners in the work sense but in every sense. In love. Devoted to one another. Able to read the other without a word, Barely with even a look. They're not as tightly wound as some in the Ravens, and certainly cause a lot of trouble in different ways, but they're good at what they do... and they're feared by those that know the truth of who and what they are.

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Arthur cocks his head and considers that. "Yeah, I can see that. Good place to truly test out high powered machinery too," he agrees and flips on the light to the shooting range.

He nods and looks at it. "This place - this house is our slice of life outside of their control so for me? This place in particular helps. Eames has a few of his own methods he uses but this and computers - point work, is where I've always thrived."

"Not always what you want to use on the range," he agrees, thinking about the last time they had done just that. It had been nice, especially in a country where the guns weren't common. The reputation of it, and the legends of the men that did it, were amusing.

"For me it's always planning. Knowing every in and out. I won't have what just happened never happens again. I can't risk him again." He blamed himself for that shot, for not seeing it coming, and for his partner's near death.

Eames isn't wrong. They do things that no one else can or would do. Their training allows them to function in that capacity. To have met another pair who are the same way is comforting, honestly and Ex is glad that Mere reached out to them. That they were in the same city to even have this chance.

He watches Eames' reaction and can't help the grin that tugs on his mouth. "I understand more than I ever thought I would." Mere was it for him. No matter where they went or what happened, it would always be Mere.

Ex cocks his head as he stares at Eames for a long minute. "Both," he says. "Nearly dying would do it but being away from my partner for seven weeks... is another kind of death / break."

"Agreed," Arthur says with a little smile. He wonders how Eames would feel about something like that one day if they ever have the opportunity or the right target.

He nods in understanding. "I get that," he says. "I'm not sure anyone would be left alive if Eames had been hurt like that," he admits.

It's interesting having someone to share this with. They've never had this. Not ever before. He hopes they can keep this and see how it goes and how well it all grows for them. They could use friends who they don't have to hide everything from.

"Seven weeks."

He repeats it softly, shaking his head.

"We had that once. A long time ago. Right before we completed the only thing left to do in dreamshare. We had been apart for months. I spent every day gambling and drinking and fighting until he came for me."

He considers something. "Is it better now that you're with him?"

There's no hesitation in the admission he makes after Arthur says that.

"I believe that, because there's none left. After they took Ex away and wouldn't let me go with them, I started the hunt. By the time they checked in with me about where I was, I was having Turkish coffee in Istanbul and not one of them was standing."

He pauses only then. "It's... interesting. Having someone to talk about these things with. it's different."

Arthur nods in understanding. His mouth curls up when he mentions Turkish coffee. "There is nothing better than Turkish coffee in Istanbul. I'm always in search for a good place wherever we travel."

"It is," he agrees. "Unlike our last career, even mentioning the program is a big no no. It's nice to have someone else who has been there and can relate."

To have someone, or someones who could relate and understand where they were coming from... who they were, was completely and utterly new. Something that he hopes they can keep. He likes Arthur and Eames.

Ex frowns, shaking his head. "I can't imagine," he confesses. It had been hard enough being away from Mere for seven weeks but to be away from him for months?

"I'm glad that he did finally come or you. It was hard enough being away from him for seven weeks but to be separated for months?"

He considers the question. "Much better," he says. "I worry when we have to report back and go into the field," he admits, taking a long pull from the now warm beer bottle in his hand.

Again there's that slight look, almost a smile. "I know places all over. I can give you a few names. It's one of my important stops."

He nods at that. "We've never talked about it with anyone. Well, I haven't," he admits, knowing about Ex's family. "But nothing like this. Just us being apart this long wasn't normal, even before the incident."

"We hadn't gained the connection of the program, but it was still there. I think there has to be something before it starts, but it ramped things up. Those months though..."

He sighs, but then he's considering Ex for a long time.

"But like there is a notable difference with it when you're together? Or do you think you don't think about it much because you are together? Is it possible it's healing with you both together? Or that it might be something else?"

"I imagine there was a different kind of connection forged over the years. After all, you were in each others minds and I assume that takes a metric fuck ton of trust."

He nods, not sure how he'd react if he was separated from Mere for months.

Not well.

Hell, Mere would probably be worse!

He cocks his head as he considers the questions. "Not sure," he admits finally. "Because of it, I'm freezing all of the fucking time. But, it is better when I'm with him, I don't notice or think about it as much."

Eames nods at that. "There's some who would bounce from one team to another, and with the right focus on and all, doing shallow things, it wouldn't have been too bad but to really get into the layers of it, it takes a lot of trust."

And why their last job ever in it nearly tanked. They had lost that trust in Dom. At least Eames had.

He knows he's asking a lot of question, maybe too personal, and it comes from years of having to know things before you go into someone's head. Maybe that's why he's asking. In case he does the same with Ex and Meridian as well.

He nods, considering what it is that might mean. For both of them.

"There might be something. You know, up here," he says, tapping the side of his head with one finger. "Not pushing for it, but if you ever wanted to explore..."

"Great, please do," he says with a smile. "And I'd be happy to share any that I know in different places if you want to share notes."

He nods in understanding. "How long were you apart," he asks. "Eames and I were apart for months before we entered the program and that was hard enough but after the program? Not sure how well we'd do."

Ex nods in understanding. "That only makes sense," he agrees and takes another drink from his bottle.

He looks at Eames when he offers what he thinks he's offering. "I'll speak to Meridian about it later." There's no offense to Eames, it was simply how they operated as a team and he's sure that Eames and Arthur work in much the same way.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there is something there though...," he agrees and steps away from the painting. "Something that monumental leaves a mark whether we want it to or not."

He glances away as if he could see where Ex is, thinking about him. "The pastries in town. The places for desserts that absolutely are worth it," he says, knowing that is what Ex would want.

"Months?" He shakes his head like that. "It was seven weeks. We were told more than that but said fuck it and now we're here," he adds, knowing that is admitting a lot but he also is testing things with these two men he finds interesting.

"Of course."

There's no hesitation there, and he'd known it would be the answer. It is the same he would give about nearly anything; he needs to talk to Arthur. That is always the answer.

"Oh definitely. It will create things. The mind and the trauma. It could also be the added trauma that you were then separated from him. You may have been under for part of it, but your mind knows and it could be acting on that as well."

Arthur watches Meridian with a tiny smile. When he mentions pastries, he nods. "You got it. Eames and I have spent so much time in Paris it's practically our second home. Among one of those things we know best about it are pastries and desserts. I'll give you the names of other pastry places in other cities as well."

He nods his head. "Seven weeks is a lot especially if you haven't been separated for very long before then," he says in understanding. "It's kind of like severing a limb... which is morbid as fuck but I find it's true."

Ex nods as he considers what Eames is saying. "That makes sense," he says finally.

"Well, if we do this, you both better dress warm. Can't promise what my mindscape is like," he muses after wandering over to another of Eames' paintings on display.

"I admire talent like yours. Unless you count firearms and torture, not sure I have an artistic bone in my body," he says dryly.

He can't help but shake his head then, because he is finding it interesting how much they have in common with the other team.

"You are the Turkish coffee, is he then the pastries?"

Because that would definitely be amusing given how much so many other things with the other pair aligns with them as well. He hasn't seen it before in the other teams, not quite so clearly.

"Not morbid. It's exactly what it felt like. I was giving him body heat to survive, and then everything that was the living parts of me were gone." He hasn't said it to anyone else like that but he suspects Arthur will understand.

"Sort of. We had a friend who especially enjoyed her French pastries so, I think he's keeping the tradition around," he admits with a little smile. It was equally interesting to Arthur just how much the two teams had in common.

There'd been many nights they'd sat out on Mal's balcony with a book, cigarette, coffee and some French pastries she'd picked up that afternoon before their arrival. He'd loved that about her.

He nods in agreement. He couldn't imagine if it had been he and Eames. He would have done the very same thing and he knows it. "I get it," he says because if anyone understands, he would. "He's the only thing that truly matters. Like Eames is to me."

Despite himself, and maybe not in keeping with their talk, Eames can't help but to laugh. "Our last job, professionally, we ended up in a tundra. It wasn't armed and ready for us, but it was definitely not my liking," he admits with a wrinkle of his nose. "I prefer warmer climes, myself."

Oh but Eames beams at that, because obviously Ex has found the way to his heart. "Thank you. Wait until you see what I do with documents. I'm a virtuoso if it involves forging anything." He pauses only a moment before adding. "Torture is an artform though and I am betting you're a master at it."

It sounds like a delightful memory, but one of someone lost as well. He can't remember having anyone other than Ex, but then Ex had his brother and he knew he would back up the other man on anything with his brother. No matter how much trouble it got them into but then being here was trouble as well.

Meridian nods at that. "He's the only thing that has ever mattered. I would destroy the world for him," he says, sounding so casual about that but he means it. Every word of it. "If he hadn't made it, I suspect I would have been your next job," he says, and he suspects that's the truth as well.

Ex chuckles. "I can see it," he says. Eames gave off that vibe of preferring warmer climates than anything cold. "It didn't bother me much before all of this but now I definitely prefer the warmer weather."

He's going to have to compartmentalize it all once they return to active and he knows that. He'll have to adjust to whatever fucking climate zone they're dropped off in and get over it. But he knows that the cold will just exacerbate the coldness he feels in his bones.

Pushing that aside temporarily, he spots the beaming smile. "Now that is handy to know," he admits. It was always good to know someone who was handy with documents. He can't help the smirk. No one should say they're a master of torture and yet, here they were. "We've had to become masters."

"Maybe one day we'll become close enough to invite you to Mombasa."

It's said so casually but it's also something that is important to Eames. Yet he could see that his near death experience had done a lot to Ex and he needs someone there for him. Someone beyond Meridian. He suspects that Meridian needs it as well. They'll see though.

"It is, isn't it? I did art because I love it. I do documents because of how useful it is, and I love knowing others get through borders and pass inspections. Helps getting weapons so many places," he says with a laugh.

"That isn't a bad thing, being masters of that. Not in our business."

Even the mention of inviting them out caused Ex's eyebrows to raise in surprise but there was a little smile that tugged on his mouth. "Maybe one day," he agrees. "We've only been in that neck of the woods a few times over the years. It'd be nice to visit again."

He liked the life he led with Mere. Now that everything's changed, he loved this closeness he had with his partner. But he also liked the idea of having these two as friends if nothing else. Someone that they could count on should things go tits up.

Ex chuckles. "Having an additional contact to help get weapons in and out of places is very handy," he muses, looking at him with a grin. "Don't be surprised if you hear from us."

He nods in agreement. "That's for damn sure." He pauses. "Thanks for having us over, Eames."

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Arthur and Eames

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I hope it's okay to say that for Eames!

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