neededforger | Making up for lost time, one more time.

Making up for lost time, one more time.

They had lazed about for most of the day, mostly just because they could, and even when one or the other of them got up to use the bathroom or retrieve a book, they always came right back, as if somehow that bed held all the secrets of the universe. Come afternoon, Eames went to get his laptop, doing some research to find a restaurant for dinner, coming up with a few nearby and just deciding by what was closest, since he figured the walk would do them both good.
He even made a reservation, just to make sure they'd have a seat, even though as far as he could tell they were wide open as far as space.

"Are you ready, Arthur?" He called back towards the bedroom from where he was perched on the couch, having settled there after he'd gotten dressed, waiting for the other man to finish his shower, though the water had been off for a while.

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"Suppose I do." He said with another crooked smile, shaking his head a moment later, "Can't blame me for wanting to look out for you, you know."

Arthur remained silent, eating more of his food as he tried to ignore how that simple statement made his chest feel a slight flutter. He was almost tempted to ask 'why?'. Why did Eames want to look out for him?

His curiosity eventually got the better of him, "Why?"

His brow furrowed, just slightly, pausing in chewing for a moment. That wasn't a question he'd been expecting, really, and leave it to Arthur to catch him off guard. Finally he shook his head, "Is it really that difficult to believe that I might care?"

If Arthur was honest with himself, he liked catching Eames off guard quite a bit.

Arthur shrugged, "It's... it's difficult for me to believe anyone would, actually." And that was the truth of it. It wasn't just Eames. It was anyone and everyone. It had taken him years to even believe Cobb and Mal when they told him that.

That ... actually kind of hurt, and not so much on his own behalf as much as Arthur's, which was his first clue that this wasn't as simple as just caring for Arthur, but now was not the time to work that out, so what he said was: "Well then I'll have to tell you more often."

Arthur remained silent, getting a slightly perplexed look on his face (as if to say 'if you want to ?') and went back to eating. He didn't really know what else to say or how to respond. This was unfamiliar territory for him. At least it sure felt that way.

He shrugged, that was an expression he knew well, "Clearly you don't believe it, I mean, you did just say as much, and since I can't magically cure you of that, I'll just have to do it the old fashioned way, positive reinforcement."

Arthur gave him another flat look for that but kept eating. If Eames wanted to do that, he could (and with how stubborn he could be, Arthur knew he wouldn't really be able to convince him not to) he just shouldn't expect Arthur to be comfortable with it. Because he wasn't. It felt so... foreign to him.

"I could write you up a list. If you like. I know you're fond of those." His tone was mild, though there was amusement behind it, somewhere, as there usually was when he was suggesting something ridiculous like that, "Might get my point across."

Arthur nearly glared at him but took another sip of his drink, clearly not believing Eames at all on that part.

The other man could say whatever he wanted but he didn't need to mock his affinity for lists (which were very useful in his line of work and Eames should do well to remember that).

"And that's definitely part of it." He said, finally smiling a little, he wasn't sure why he was as enamored of that glower as he was, aside from the fact that it was quintessential Arthur.

That was all he had to say on the matter at the moment, however, tucking in contentedly into his dinner, since it had cooled to a not-scorching temperature.

Arthur's brows furrowed at that remark and he shook his head, feeling slightly annoyed again (mainly because sometimes he couldn't understand what the other man was going on about at times like this). He just decided to go back to his food, too.

He finished with his food before Eames did and had to sit back in his chair. Oh yes, he was feeling very nearly full. He still wanted one more thing, though. Something he had been craving all day.

"Better?" Eames asked once he'd finished dredging his last bite of potato through the last of his gravy, comfortably full himself, but not too full to forgo dessert, because really that was the best part of any good dinner so far as he was concerned.

The corners of his mouth twitching, "Maybe."

There was another faint smile of his own, quietly amused like always, well, like always when he wasn't caught in a momentary fit of wholly infectious laughter, "I suspect dessert would do us both a fair bit of good."

Smiling, a bit amused, too, "It usually does."

They just needed their waitress to return and then they'd be all set (because Arthur already knew exactly what he wanted).

Which she did within short order, collecting plates and glasses and smiling at them, he ordered a slice of plum kuchen for himself, since it was one of those things that was regional and he only ever had it when he was actually in Germany

Arthur ordered a slice of their caramel cake. It was something he got a craving for every once in a while (despite it being his favorite kind of cake).

Eames shook his head at that that choice, "No idea how you can eat that." He said, sitting back in his chair, completely comfortable at the moment, even in the noise of the dinner crowd, everyone seemed to be having a good time, and that always helped to settle him.

Smirking, "Well, it being absolutely delicious helps."

The noise of the dinner crowd was a bit comforting to Arthur; it meant they were all busy doing their own thing and would leave Arthur and Eames alone to do their thing.

He shook his head, "I'm not arguing the flavor, really, it's lovely, but caramel isn't supposed to be roughly the same consistency as snot. It's supposed to be able to yank fillings out if you're not careful."

Arthur wrinkled his nose at the comparison, "Someone's bitter about liquid caramel."

He laughed then, wholly amused in the way he was best at, shaking his head, "Hardly bitter, I just don't see the point in thinning something out that doesn't rightly need it. It's like people insisting on fat free milk, what's the point?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Your comparisons are hardly appropriate. Liquid caramel is not pointless when it is just another way of eating something - like having regular cream or ice cream. Not to mention liquid caramel is easy on the teeth, tastes just as good if not better than hard caramel, and feels very nice on the tongue. Especially when it's warm." And it did.

[Although, Arthur probably said that more suggestively than was necessary.]

"Now who's got a hardly appropriate comparison?" He said, "Regular cream and ice cream are two completely different things, one's a condiment and one's a dessert. That's like comparing chocolate chips to a fudge torte."

His smile went crooked, "And if it's feel you're after, hot fudge is a far preferential option."

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