Happy Birthday, Jazz! Have a present.

[LeapYearKisses]

It's belated, but here you go! I was going to write you some drabbles, but my imagination carried me off, so you get this instead. Happy birthday! And to everyone else who might stop in, Happy Valentine's Day!

Warnings: Some brief language, spoilers for Inception.

---

"Did you have a nice swim?" Eames asks, opening the apartment door for Arthur and raising an eyebrow. The other man is absolutely drenched, fine silk suit clinging to the contours of his body. "Where's your jacket?"

"They lost my fucking luggage," Arthur snaps, shouldering inside. There's a puddle in the hallway where he was standing. In one hand he's holding a sopping briefcase, but that's all he has. "It's the worst storm of the season and they lost my luggage." He sniffs, dismissive.

"I'm sure it wasn't on purpose," Eames soothes absently, taking the briefcase. "Wait a tick and I'll fetch you some clothes." He smiles at Arthur cheekily. "Try not to drip on my carpet."

Arthur just glares in response, and Eames heads into the bedroom, dropping the case onto the kitchen table as he passes. He roots through his drawers for something Arthur can wear, eventually deciding on a pair of flannel pants and an old long-sleeved shirt. Not stylish, perhaps, but warm. He carries them out.

He sees Arthur's tie on the table first, and then he sees Arthur, who is in the process of stripping out of his wet things. He's down to his trousers and socks now, but has paused – for modesty, Eames thinks, until Arthur suddenly raises cupped hands to his face and bends with a quick – and nearly silent – sneeze. "Nngt." For a moment, Eames thinks that he will sneeze again; his eyes are still glassy, his breath hitching…. But instead, Arthur pinches the bridge of his nose sharply, cutting it off.

"Bless you," says Eames, and Arthur actually jumps.

"What are you-?" he begins, and then sees the clothes and towel Eames has brought for him. He sniffs again, this time to clear his nose Eames can tell, and reaches out for them. "Thanks," he says shortly. His face is red.

"Are you… blushing?" Eames asks, because sometimes his brain doesn't catch up with his mouth when he talks. He immediately kicks himself when he sees Arthur's features closing in a tight scowl.

"No, I am not," Arthur replies, sniffing again more heavily. He stalks away into the bathroom to change.

---

When Arthur emerges, dressed now in Eames's clothes, he looks drier but exponentially more tired. His nose is red and beginning to chap, he's paler than usual, and he has dark circles under his eyes. He sits down at the bar in the kitchen, sliding his bare feet behind the rungs of one of Eames's stools.

Eames looks up from reading the paper and fetches him a cup of tea. "So," he says, setting the saucer down on the countertop. "Do you want some aspirin or something?" He doesn't really know what to do. He's never seen Arthur sick before, and even though they've had sex on occasion, he wouldn't say they're together. They're just… not apart.

"Sure," Arthur sighs, taking a sip of his tea. It's not how he likes it – too sweet – but he drinks it anyway. It works well enough, certainly, for washing down pills. "Okay. Tomorrow, Cobb's flying in from LA. Can you put him up, too?"

Does this look like a hotel to you? thinks Eames, but he doesn't say it out loud. What he does say is, "I can't believe you're working with him again after he risked us all to limbo." This is hardly any smarter, but, again, his rambling mouth.

Arthur blinks and takes a deep breath. "You're an ass, Eames. We all got out safely."

"That doesn't change the fact that he kept the risks from us. I mean, missing subconscious security is one thing-" (Arthur flinches) "but actively withholding information? Information that could lead to our deaths? Great. Good teamwork there."

"Oh, and you're such a role model yourself," Arthur snaps, standing up. "You've forgotten Berlin, I suppose? You left us in a locked room with a trained pit bull!"

"And the key!"

"On the animal's collar!" Arthur had taken a step closer to him by now, fuming. Eames put his hands up.

"I can't be held responsible for the owners' poor sense, can I? Effectively, all I did was escape without you. That's hardly the same thing, is it? Now sit down before you fall down, Arthur. You're looking unwell."

"I'm fine," he insists, but a particularly badly-timed cough gives the lie to the statement. That, and the fact that his breath is beginning to hitch again. "You're jus- just mincing wh- words. Hh… hh…"

Eames makes to hand him a napkin, but Arthur gets an unreadable look on his face. He spins on his heel, claps his hands over his face, and, back to Eames, sneezes another one of his curious non-existent sneezes. "Hngt!" Eames opens his mouth to bless him, but Arthur shakes his head. "Don't! Don't say anything."

Eames blinks. "Um. Okay? Do you, uh, want a tissue? Or something?"

Arthur shakes his head again, anger melting away. It doesn't take the tension with it, and he remains tightly strung as he wearily resumes his seat at the bar. "No. I'm fine. Thanks."

"…If you're sure." Eames also sits back down, sighing. "Look, sorry. Yes, he can stay here. But I only have two bedrooms."

"I'll sleep on the couch," Arthur says, untucking the handkerchief Eames has lent him from his pocket and carefully dabbing at his nose. He's sniffing quietly all the while.

"You could… sleep with me?" Eames suggests, hardly hoping for a civil answer, much less a positive one. "You're obviously under the weather, darling. Don't give up the chance for a real mattress. I'll even take the couch, if you want. Just…" He taps his fingers on the counter and fiddles with a corner of the newspaper. "I want you to feel better."

Arthur spends a long moment swirling the contents of his teacup before he sighs. "Fine. You don't have to sleep on the couch. But," he jabs a finger toward Eames, "this isn't romantic. Just convenient."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Eames deadpans, and they both know it's a lie. Neither mentions it, however, and when they've finished their tea, Eames gets up and makes dinner – grilled cheese sandwiches and salsa. Arthur only takes a bit of toast before retiring to the bedroom, and Eames hears him on the phone with Cobb for a few minutes confirming plans before everything falls silent and the light goes out.

He wonders if he should take the guest room that night to give Arthur some space before they're forced to share – forced, according to Arthur. In the end, he just shrugs and, at ten, goes into his own room. He doesn't turn on the light – he knows his way around well enough without it – and he is careful not to wake Arthur when he climbs under the covers on the left side of the bed. He lies awake for about half an hour listening to Arthur's quiet snores before he starts to doze himself. He doesn't dream.

---

The sound of wind rustling the branches of the trees in the apartment complex's courtyard… Rain sluicing down the windows and rattling on the pavement… Eames rubs his eyes. It's still dark. He isn't sure what has woken him.

"Hh… hhh…"

It's very very quiet, but yes – Arthur's awake. And now that he knows, Eames can hear the difference in Arthur's breathing and feel, gently, the touch of Arthur's back against his own. As he waits sleepily in the darkness, Arthur's breathing changes again.

"Hh- Hih-kssht!" A sneeze. A quiet one, but definitely recognizable as such. Arthur's shoulders tremble slightly, and he takes a quick, uneven breath. "Hh-chsst! Hh… hih-ksst!"

Eames shifts slightly and then turns around so that he's spooning Arthur. Very carefully, he slides an arm around Arthur's middle. The point man doesn't object, and, after a second or so, relaxes wearily into Eames's heat.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Arthur says haltingly. He sounds exhausted and uncomfortable.

Eames plants a gentle kiss to the back of Arthur's neck. "You okay?"

"Yes, I- Well." Arthur shrugs slightly. "I feel sick. My head hurts… I kee- I keep snih… Hh-nggt." He pinches his nose this time, stifling now that he knows Eames can hear him. That must be the reason.

"Don't do that," hums Eames, rubbing Arthur's hip. "You'll make your headache worse."

"I know." Arthur sniffs, and he sounds more congested. "I can't help it. Really, I can't." For some reason it takes a lot for him to say this. Eames kisses the tension away again and doesn't ask.

"And if I say 'Bless you'?"

"I wish you wouldn't." Arthur threads his fingers with Eames's over his stomach, letting his thumb play over them. "Please."

It would be an understatement to say that Eames doesn't understand, but Arthur is warm in his arms, so all he says is "Okay."

And, when Arthur's breathing has smoothed back out again… "I love you."

---

How sappy. Hope you enjoyed!

[Ciuty80]

ohh my gawd that was sooo cute!!!

will there be more??? please??

PLEASE?

PLEASE?

PLEAAAASE!!!

[VoOs]

This was really, really sweet. Ahh, Arthur... <3 *happy sigh*

[Jazz]

I have gotten many, many things for my birthday in years' past, but this is by far the best thing I have ever, ever gotten from anyone, ever. I would follow up that assertion with the fact that it was an exaggeration if it weren't for the fact that it's definitely not an exaggeration by any means and good god it was the best thing in the world and I'm absolutely thrilled to the point that I'm rambling now if you couldn't tell! Seriously. I love you. Words cannot express how much I love you. This was written perfectly.

First of all - you gave me my favorite thing in the world: sick, sneezy Arthur. I know you know that's my favorite, because I'm sure I tell you every time you write drabbles that fit those criteria, I go all fangirly and melt into a little puddle of goo on the floor. It thrills me that this is what you picked, because it really is at the very tip top of my list of favorite things.

Also at the top of that list is interrupted speech. And I got to see quite a bit of interrupted speech in here, and that makes me all happy and tingly and just all around wonderful. <3 Seriously. I'm rereading those bits and I literally feel like I might explode from all the wonderfully fantastic emotions swelling up inside me right now. The hitching interrupting the words is just...gah. I love it more than I can even begin to describe with words. It's my favorite fetishy thing ever, and it's here. And it's Arthur.

And I love the dynamic between Arthur and Eames in this one; I love how it's not necessarily an established relationship, but it's almost there, and it reminds me of the way they were in the actual movie. And the end. The "I love you." I'm a puddle of goo right now, LYK, a puddle of goo. Seriously. It was the most adorable and fantastic thing in the world.

Also - the little details, like the way Arthur jumped in surprise when Eames blessed him, or the details of other jobs. They really make your stories, and that's what I love about them.

That and the hitching breaths. Christ, those hitching breaths. They're wonderful. <3 Seriously. I may or may not be drooling.

I love you more than Arthur and Eames and birthday cake and the whole wide world crammed into one single object. Really. <3 Best birthday present ever, darling. You're amazing and wonderful and so many more adjectives I can't even fathom right now. (:

Thank you. So much. <3

[Jazz]

Oh, and I must mention now as I'm rereading - your vocabulary is beautiful. I love the word sluicing.

EDIT: I probably should have put that in my above post and just edited it now that I'm rereading. I have no idea why I didn't. I think it's 'cause I'm a loser and this made my brain melt.

[LeapYearKisses]

ohh my gawd that was sooo cute!!!

will there be more??? please??

PLEASE?

PLEASE?

PLEAAAASE!!!

Thank you! Yes, there might actually be more. I can't promise anything - I'm quite busy now that term has started again - but I think there's more I could add to this, so you could keep your eyes out.

This was really, really sweet. Ahh, Arthur... <3 *happy sigh*

Thank you!

I have gotten many, many things for my birthday in years' past, but this is by far the best thing I have ever, ever gotten from anyone, ever. I would follow up that assertion with the fact that it was an exaggeration if it weren't for the fact that it's definitely not an exaggeration by any means and good god it was the best thing in the world and I'm absolutely thrilled to the point that I'm rambling now if you couldn't tell! Seriously. I love you. Words cannot express how much I love you. This was written perfectly.

Awwww. =^^= Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it! You're always such a flatterer, though... I love you, too!

First of all - you gave me my favorite thing in the world: sick, sneezy Arthur. I know you know that's my favorite, because I'm sure I tell you every time you write drabbles that fit those criteria, I go all fangirly and melt into a little puddle of goo on the floor. It thrills me that this is what you picked, because it really is at the very tip top of my list of favorite things.

Yep, I think by now I know what you like, darling. Seeing as you're brilliant at reviewing and telling me exactly what you want to see more of!

Also at the top of that list is interrupted speech. And I got to see quite a bit of interrupted speech in here, and that makes me all happy and tingly and just all around wonderful. <3 Seriously. I'm rereading those bits and I literally feel like I might explode from all the wonderfully fantastic emotions swelling up inside me right now. The hitching interrupting the words is just...gah. I love it more than I can even begin to describe with words. It's my favorite fetishy thing ever, and it's here. And it's Arthur.

I'm also a huge fan of interrupted speech and hitching! We have so much in common. XD

And I love the dynamic between Arthur and Eames in this one; I love how it's not necessarily an established relationship, but it's almost there, and it reminds me of the way they were in the actual movie. And the end. The "I love you." I'm a puddle of goo right now, LYK, a puddle of goo. Seriously. It was the most adorable and fantastic thing in the world.

I love writing them in all stages of relationship (and in all stages of Arthur revealing his fetish). It's way more interesting that way than just writing them seriously in love, which is awesome, but not fun every single time I write. Of course, then I have to fluff-ify the whole thing at the end... Ah, me. I am a hopeless romantic.

Also - the little details, like the way Arthur jumped in surprise when Eames blessed him, or the details of other jobs. They really make your stories, and that's what I love about them.

That and the hitching breaths. Christ, those hitching breaths. They're wonderful. <3 Seriously. I may or may not be drooling.

I love you more than Arthur and Eames and birthday cake and the whole wide world crammed into one single object. Really. <3 Best birthday present ever, darling. You're amazing and wonderful and so many more adjectives I can't even fathom right now. (:

Thank you. So much. <3

You're so very very welcome, darling! I love to write for an appreciative audience, and, I know I've told you before, you're seriously the best reviewer I've ever had! Even if no one but you ever reads any more of my stuff, I would be happy, because you always put so much effort into your feedback! I hope you had a very happy birthday aside from my fic, and I'm glad my present to you could make it so much better! <3333

With very much love,

LYK

P.S. - I may continue this story if I get ideas, but even if I don't you should know: I am 15 pages into the boarding-school AU and, time permitting, I will be working on it this week. I hope to start posting it sometime soon, but I don't want to do that until I'm fully done. I've left too many people hanging before. XD

P.P.S - Thank you! I love my vocabulary! I'm glad you do, too.

[swann_ee_song]

That was so sweet. =)

Nice details on Arthur's sneezes too.

[Zwee]

Eee! So cute!! My goodness, how I've been neglecting poor Arthur and Eames! I was recently hooked on to a new (though quite old) TV show. I just remembered the hotness of the two!!! And felt very guilty for forgetting about them. This was written so well!! I love Arthur, so embarrassed, and Eames totally oblivious as to why Arthur would be this uncomfortable. And the whole mouth getting ahead of the thoughts thing was adorable as well!!!!! Aw, poor Arthur. Reading this was perfect, especially as it's been very rainy here lately, and reading this story now, while listening to the steady downpour with a cup of tea=wonderful. And yes, I agree. Hitching breaths really do it for me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAZZ!!!

Dear Arthur and Eames,

I'm am so deeply sorry I forgot about your perfectness. I will try not to do it again. Because really, you both are just to attractive to ignore.

Loving you to my heart's fullest extent,

Zwee <3

[murphy dee]

Wow, this was just...wow. Couldn't have happened to two cuter guys. And it had my favorite thing ever...I loooove that interrupted speech! Oh man, so wonderful.

[Jorm]

Arthur Delightful, just delightful. *happy sigh*