Arthur is surprised when Eames calls him up two months before a job to cancel. Arthur has known him to walk away in disgust at incompetence or skip out when it's clear there are backstabbing team members or danger to contend with during a job, but never to simply cancel outright. "Something's come up," he says, and behind his voice: a siren, the whisking vibration of automatic doors, a crowd of people talking in a low buzz. He could be anywhere. Arthur last tracked him in Vegas, but it's been a few days. "Everything okay?" Arthur asks, sliding a piece of bread into the toaster. "You've never tapped out of a job before." "I'll be out for a stretch, actually." Arthur is shocked and bewildered. "You'll what?" His first thought is that Eames is at risk, but Arthur has been tracking the noise on his team for seven months now. He would know if Eames had trouble coming. "How long?" Eames is quiet for a moment and then says, "For the foreseeable future." "Are you in trouble? Eames, come on—" "Not in the sense you mean at all," Eames says and laughs. "Listen to you, sounding all panicky. Will you miss me, darling?" "I work with the best," Arthur says, stubborn, and fuck Eames, he knows Arthur will miss him.They've been working together exclusively since Cobb dropped out of dreamshare. "Tell me what's happened," he says. "Let me help you." "Ah, Arthur." Eames sounds resigned, tired and worn. "You're brilliant, but not even you can get me out of this one. These aren't people that you argue with." "Eames." "Don't worry, Arthur," he says gently. "Try not to miss me too much." The call disconnects and Arthur stares at the blinking display screen for a full minute until he has to rescue the extra-crunchy toast that's filling his kitchen with smoke.

21 days ago