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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"That's disappointing," Arthur remarks, looking his partner over with a smirk. He's not surprised though that someone - these two spotted them.

Ex watches them and although his expression doesn't change much, there is a sort of fascination in his eyes. The relationship between the Point and Forger is intriguing and they've been able to manage this long in their previous careers that they've been successful.

Mere and he could handle the same, right?

He glances at his partner. "To an extent," he says. And he's sure it's because they'd been separated for seven weeks after his near death. Ex watches as the waiter brings back Meridian's cognac and his beer bottle.

"You can't spend every waking moment with someone without something happening," he says after the waiter leaves them to peruse the menu. If these two had been put through the same thing Meridian and he had, then they had the same experiments done, spent every waking and sleeping minute together for the first several months... you were supposed to form an attachment to your partner and to know them as well as you knew yourself. It was only natural, right?

Meridian has been letting Ex handle things, but he feels that in this moment, it's time for him to speak up.

"They believed they could burn all emotion out of us in an attempt to get rid of empathy for the enemy and the targets. I think that was their mistake and in that not happening they got more of what they wanted. I think you might understand that."

He takes a sip of his drink, enjoying the burn.

"If we lost all of it, then we would not work like the partners we are. We never considered taking that step though to something else. Not until recent, but I know now where we stand."

It's more than he's said to a lot of people, more than he often speaks, but he wants to be clear her.

"Something that we took a chance with because of you both."

Arthur nodded. He did understand that. There was a fine line between destroying just enough empathy of a person so that you can destroy the enemy or your current target and destroying all empathy so that no one mattered, let alone the partner you were assigned to.

He watches Ex give another look to his partner when he speaks about knowing where they stood and glances over at Eames and then back at Meridian. Of the two, he could relate to the man a bit more.

When he says it's because of the two of them that they took the chance on something more, Arthur can't help the little smirk. "I'm glad that us being unable to keep our hands to ourselves in public paid off for someone else."

He pauses, consideringly. "It's not easy to have a relationship under their radar but considering everything, that won't be so different than normal." Because regardless of how well one took to the training and experiments, joining the organization wasn't an "easy" path.

Looking back, Eames knows the changes he's gone through. He remembers the man that had sat at Mal's side, and he knew the man he'd become together with Arthur through the program.

"I won't say you haven't become one of the best teams out there. Everyone knows that Meridian is the yardstick against who we're all measured against but..." He fixes Mere with a hard look. "But tell me you don't think you're a better warrior now. Because you know why you're going in there and how you have to come out."

Because he's always known. He's known he has to always come out on the other side with Arthur. Whether it's through a dream or a warzone. He will do whatever he has to so that when the day is over, he is there with Arthur and they're together. Any other answer is not acceptable.

He looks at Ex. "And you know it too, don't you?"

Edited 2024-02-12 00:05 (UTC)

Arthur's specialty in dream share had been primarily to be the point person. Ultimately, it wasn't very different from how they operated now only on a much larger scale. Still, he made sure everyone got in and got out. When his relationship with Eames shifted and they joined the program, no one else mattered. Except Eames. He was a much better warrior and point.

He watches Meridian and Ex's faces as Eames speaks and while it doesn't appear that it hits home, he's sure it does.

Ex stares at Eames for a long minute before he nods shortly. No one else mattered. Except Meridian. He would do everything in his power to make sure they came out of any situation alive.

If their places had been reversed in that cave, he's not sure he would have done half as well as Mere did. He picks up his beer bottle and takes a pull from it, his gaze and awareness on every single person in the room.

While he was more in tune with his emotions and more open than Meridian was, talking about them to others wasn't always the easiest. "What do you recommend here? The beef fillet sounded great," he says.

Eames knows that after all they did to them, the way they made their partnership their entire life, that it had only strengthened their relationship. It made them more than lovers and friends. Even more than partners in his book. They were one unit, a single person in two bodies, and he truly believes that is what makes a team in this program work.

He and Arthur just knew before they started. Until the two men in front of them.

And yet he sees it. They are one person, working as one, both focused on the other and that was what made them strong.

So when they face that truth and change the subject, he can't help but chuckle, shaking his head.

"This weekend, you're coming over to our place," he says, not even looking at Arthur as he says it, sure he's getting a look for that. "Some place we can talk without others listening. Because you see it now, don't you?"

His voice drops softer, almost tender. "How you're one person in two bodies. I know I see it." He pauses and then adds. "And order the Chateaubriand, you won't regret it."

Arthur does look at Eames when he invites Ex and Meridian to their place over the weekend. But to Eames' credit, it was a good idea for them to talk in a more private location, and what would be more private than their place... or the Black Raven's? Wherever they were staying.

Ex stares at Eames. He was not incorrect. They were one person in two bodies and it was how they operated as one unit. They all did, right? That was what they were trained to be like.

He glances at Meridian. "Saturday then."

It's taking a leap but they came to them to admit their relationship and maybe look for advice. Maybe it was a set up to learn all they could about them, about their relationship, but the truth of the matter is, he doesn't think so. Not when he saw the look in their eyes, the way they communicate without a word.

No, it's not a set up. It's two men facing something new and looking for advice.

And Meridian felt the same. They could be setting them up but then they reached out to them... and they were finding answers. He could see it in their eyes how much they love one another, how deep they are with one another.

"We appreciate your assistance," Meridian says in a low voice. "It's new territory and one neither of us have ever faced. Recently... there was an incident and it brought to light things we've ignored."

Eames looks between them, settling on Ex. "They said for a time that you'd died."

As far as Arthur saw it, he didn't think Meridian and Ex would come to them if it was a setup. It wasn't their MO. So the fact that they did, it must be what they said it was - about their relationship and looking for advice.

Arthur nods at Meridian's explanation.

Ex looks at Eames. "The reports of my death were greatly exaggerated," he says with a trace of humor lacing his tone. "But, yes, I was for a time."

Until Mere had saved him.

He didn't expand on what that had left him with - a much lower body temperature. "That shed light on what we'd been missing... and ignoring as unattainable."

Arthur watches and notices the thicker lining of Ex's suit jacket. Their tailor did excellent work so it was hardly noticeable. He only noticed because he'd gotten better at noticing things like that over the years.

Eames is quiet for a long moment. He thinks about the man next to him. He thinks about the bond they shared before all the program had put them through... and he thought about the idea of losing Arthur.

Just even the thought in that moment guts him, leaving him feeling empty and hollow, his blood seeming to go to ice as he reaches under the table and rests his hand on Arthur's knee. Just needing the reminder in that moment that Arthur is there and alive and warm and perfect. He lets out a breath he hasn't known he was holding until then.

"I can understand that. Reminders of our mortality are a good way of stripping away all they've done and they will tell you a lot. I wish you hadn't had the moment then or at our tailors to make you truly think about it, but I'm glad for you both that you are now."

He smiles then, fond and not hiding his emotions. "It's all so worth it."

Arthur rests his hand on top of Eames' and squeezes it. The mere thought of losing Eames and not having him with him feels like a punch to the gut. If he were to ever lose Eames, there would be no saving whoever had come after them.

Ex watches him and reaches for Mere's hand under the table, needing that connection with him knowing how close they were to losing it all.

"Reminders of our mortality are unnecessary," he mutters but he nods at Eames' words.

He remains quiet for a minute as he takes another drink of his beer. "Do you find it hard to control yourselves in wanting to be together when you're active?" Ex's voice is low as he asks, watching Arthur then Eames.

Eames shifts then, leaning in closer to Arthur. There's no hiding how they feel about one another, or worrying about the others seeing them sharing that moment either.

"I'm sorry you both had to go through that," he murmurs, but there's a sincerity to Eames' words. Even as he leans in and kisses Arthur's cheek.

Mere is still for a moment and then he shifts his hand to cover Ex's, curling around his fingers and giving a squeeze. That question though gets a look and a curious arch of one brow.

"Hard is relative." He chuckles though as he says it. "Sometimes. I worry it's harder for Arthur than me sometimes, since I'm often laying on the charm to make things work."

Ex watches as Arthur leans in a bit closer to Eames. It was nice to see them show affection with each other. Ex can honestly say it was only since they were reunited that he felt comfortable with that level of affection. He'd bought his brother electronics to make up for the fact that he wasn't there.

With Mere, it was different. He could show how much he cared and wanted to have his hand in his and feel that warmth spread through him. And not just because he ran colder than normal.

He glances at Mere when his hand covers his and exhales a tiny breath, shoulders relaxing a touch.

Arthur snorts when Eames mentions it's harder for him. "He's a flirt," he says dryly but with a teasing fond look at his partner. "There were times at first when I wasn't as confident or solid in our relationship that it bothered me and made it harder but these days, not as much. We know the roles we must play on a job and know that at the end of the day, we're coming back to each other. And when we do have that time off, we have a hard time keeping our hands to ourselves."

Edited 2024-02-19 23:50 (UTC)

Mere knew that was going to maybe be a problem for them in the future. So much of his work required him to put on that mask of charming, flirtatious darling who had, historically, seduced women to distract them or to get information from them.

Now they were going to have to discuss that. In fact, he needs to tell Ex how really, since they had met, that was the only ones he'd been with and he'd avoided full on sex, for the sake of a man he hadn't known he might ever get to be with.

"I see that being something we have to consider, given that is actually my part of many jobs," he says, though many might not realize that he's the one in their team who that job falls on. The face he's showing now is real, but it's not his only one.

"How did you get to that point to realize how much it didn't change anything?"

Even as he asked it, his hand gave Ex's a squeeze, wanting to reassure him it's going to be okay, silently telling him it's okay. Before he'd do that without anything. He likes now that it comes with touch.

Arthur nods. "Makes sense there would be someone on your team whose shoulders that would fall on," he says. Especially considering everything he's heard about them, it also made sense that it would be Mere.

Ex didn't like the idea of having to see Mere flirt with others but he also knew he would handle it like he did everything else. He'd have to. He squeezes Meridian's hand in return and knows what his partner was attempting to relay to him.

It would be okay.

"It took a while," Arthur says after a minute. "We were together before we joined the program and back then, we got into a few stupid arguments." Or more like Arthur probably did, not entirely sure if Eames was as committed to them as Arthur was attempting to be. He didn't do relationships before Eames and Eames had broken through all of those walls he'd put up. "It may take a little time but I don't doubt you'll get there. Just talk to each other."

Was that what Meridian was asking? Arthur isn't entirely sure but he knows how hard it can be at the beginning.

"They say every team has one," Eames said, sounding cheerful about it. "Well and some have two charmers, but they're the ones I'm told to worry about the most. Aside from the present company."

Meridian knows he's the boogey man. Even for their own. But that didn't mean he was exempt from hearing the stories as well. "When you name someone after gods what do you expect?" Even if Adonis wasn't a god. He knew though about Apollo's background. Even the organization couldn't hide from Meridian when he wanted information. Not to mention bringing him in to see about a new division and their original agent, Zero.

Some still included the patient in that name.

Mere looked at Ex. Talking in not something they always outright did, but they didn't need to. Did they? They could communicate without talking. And now they had more, he thoughts, stroking his thumb over the back of Ex's hand to reassure him it would be fine.

Ex knows their reputation and knows what they're known for. After this long, they better have a damn good reputation. "They were asking for that one and the trouble they brought when they gave them those nicknames," Ex muses as he takes another pull from his bottle.

Arthur snorts at the response and tilts his head in agreement. The six different teams that made up the Ravens fascinated him. He'd heard and read plenty of stories about each of them and even kept tabs on them in case they were in the area. "Thoughts on the Royals?"

Ex looks at Mere and knows exactly what he was thinking with just that glance. They didn't need to communicate verbally - they did damn well communicating just like this. He gives Mere's hand a little squeeze to let him know he agrees. They would be just fine.

He considers Arthur's question. "They're handy to have," he admits. "A good face to hide what we really do behind."

"Don't count them out because of their reputation." He says it softly, glancing between them even as he considers his next words. "The Prince is true royalty. Descendant of the crown and titled and all. They play on that, pretend it's nothing major but the truth is he's direct to the current monarch. They like to pretend otherwise but he's a direct son of a mistress."

And maybe not the mistress but someone else. "It used to be common among royals. Any spare and all," he notes. "As for the First Son, I think they had no choice with him. They were already together, even if their pr didn't want to admit it was going on for years."

He pauses then and has to ask. "What do you think about that? When we're told no relationships, no emotions, and they bring them in and they're openly together."

Arthur watches them and listens to Mere as he talks about them. He had known through his extensive research that the prince was royalty but the details had been a little fuzzy.

He nods in understanding.

"It is a little annoying," he admits. "That there's one rule for them and another for us. But, that said, you have to wonder if it's because some of us are less subtle than others. Or, if they realize that you can't throw two people together as much as they throw us together without something eventually happening."

He watches the waiter come back to the table to ask if they want any appetizers.

"Do you gentlemen want anything to start? The smoked salmon is good as is the caviar," Arthur says, taking another sip of his wine.

Mere knew he was taking a chance talking about this, but ever since the cave and falling in love with this beautiful man beside him he's been thinking about things and not anyone to talk it over with. Especially not anyone that has been hiding their feelings and following the rules like they have.

He glances at Ex, staring at him for the longest time. He's quiet, and curious which is something he's not always felt and it definitely gets him wondering. "I thought I never would. Even knowing how perfectly matched we are."

Arthur watches them, sees that connection. He and Arthur had dived into dreams and come together in ways that no one else had. Maybe the way they pushed them into this new pairing did that on hyper mode. Would he die for Arthur? Absolutely. He knew he looked at him the same way he was watching Mere look at his partner.

"Then they underestimated you both, didn't they?"

Mere nods at that, his expression changing as the waiter came up, a mask of friendliness he slipped on like a Venetian mask. "The salmon sounds good, actually."

They were taking a lot of chances being in Paris for longer than it took for Mere to get his suits, for Ex to get his own presents from Mere and to pick up a new cologne. They shouldn't be here, not active or not, but he can't lie and say he wasn't glad they were here. Their entire relationship had changed because of the two men sitting in front of them and whether they knew it or not, Ex would be always appreciative to them. May even watch out for them in his own way.

All because it opened their eyes to the possibility of what was in front of them.

He looks at Mere, staring at him and knowing he felt the exact same way. He knows he doesn't have to but he squeezes Mere's hand at his words. There had never been and there never would be anyone else for him.

There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for his partner, his lover... He looks at Eames when he asks the question. "They always do."

Arthur watches them and recognizes that connection just as he recognized it in himself and Eames.

In perfect French, he orders two orders of the salmon and another bottle of wine.

Before the waiter leaves, Ex orders another beer then watches him go for only a second then letting his mask slip away again. "Have you met any of the others?" Not that they were supposed to meet each other but when did that ever stop anyone who were like them?

Eames glances at Arthur, knowing that they're pretty much in for a penny, in for a pound at this point. Why hide things when they've already opened up as much as they. After all, they're already in deep, sharing a meal and conversation that they shouldn't be.

"We had a run in with the Royals once, but they don't know who we were. Just..." He figures if they haven't looked yet, they might find the connection one day. "Prince isn't the only royal in the business. My family is in the House of Lords and holds titled lands. So we were at an event with them, and obviously knew who they were but they only knew me for my family not for the Ravens."

Arthur gives Eames a little nod. Much like Eames, he felt that at this point, they were so far in the deep end that what was one more piece of information?

Ex's face to his point had been fairly expressionless but that does give him a little bit of a surprised arch of an eyebrow. "Interesting," he muses, studying him silently before giving him a little nod. He supposed it made sense though.

"And your family were okay with your first career path?"

Arthur snorts at the question and tops his glass off.

Eames can't help but to laugh at that, lifting his glass in toast and obviously liking the question and all it infers.

"Oh they see me as a troubled bohemian. They have known about some things I've done over the years and it's why a blind eye is turned to things, but they don't know about our work with dreams."

He says it lightly but he watches them closely. And that might get him a look at Meridian shifting slightly, the most discomfort he might show.

"I was original recruited for that program." It's something he's never talked about, hadn't had a reason to before now. "They thought I would make a good point." He gives a nod to Arthur, the best in that business and he knew it. "I wasn't good for it. Too aggressive, they said."

Ex nods in understanding. He knew about the program - from Meridian mostly but he'd done his own research into it. They had access to everything and if they didn't, he found access into everything else.

Arthur returns Meridian's nod. "It does require a little subtlety," he agrees with a little quirk of his mouth. "Unless you go the forging route," he shoots a teasing look at Eames.

Ex gives Meridian's hand a little squeeze when he shifts slightly and rests it on his thigh. "The program sounded fascinating," he admits.

Arthur and Eames

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