01 - Air

The air itself clung to Arthur's sweat-covered skin, his breath hitching each time Eames pushed in another bead of the toy, easing in a finger with it, Arthur's chest stopping its heaving each time Eames brushed his tongue over Arthur's hole, telling him how beautifully he took it all, how proud Eames was of Arthur, how he knew he could take it all, and then more.

02 - Apples

It was indecent the way the juice of the apple dribbled along Eames's stubble, or rather, it was beyond indecent how much Arthur wanted to hurdle himself over the table and lick Eames's jaw, suck his apple-sweet fingers, one by one, until he could hear Eames moan.

03 - Beginning

Everything slotted into place right after the Fischer job, right there, at the airport, where Eames stood waiting for Arthur, took his hand like he'd always done so, flipped off an almost innocent bystander for staring, and kissed Arthur right then and there, when there were still dimples adorning Arthur's cheeks.

04 - Bugs

Anything but wasps, was Arthur's opinion, when the ominous buzzing sound rattled from the window, Eames already on his way to play the Knight in Shiny Armour, armed with a rolled newspaper.

05 - Coffee

The taste of coffee had grown on Eames when he'd first watched Dale Cooper drink his in obvious bliss, black and hot, in Twin Peaks, and watching reruns, he couldn't help the tips of his ears turning a bit pink with love when Arthur proffered him a steaming cup for the first time.

06 - Dark

The room was pitch black, allowing them only to feel, only to smell, only to hear, and it was more than enough, for if Eames had also seen the way his cock pushed into Arthur, slow and full with meaning, he'd come right then and there, and the darkness was a blessing.

07 - Despair

Just waiting for the kick, three more minutes, three more fucking minutes, an eternity on the third level, where Eames was bleeding from his sliced throat, gurgling up crimson, too dark to be nothing but his lifeblood, Arthur kneeling beside him, holding Eames's hand when he took his last breath, and Arthur hooked himself up to the PASIV, following him deeper, as deep as it would take.

08 - Doors

The way Eames always simpered and minced through the doors Arthur held open for him never lost its appeal, making Arthur hum with laughter, even seven years later.

09 - Drink

"For if there were a Fountain of Youth, I'd drink from it for you, and not for me," Arthur finished his sentence, holding open a small brown box between them where they stood whispering with their foreheads pressed together.

10 - Duty

Fuck it and the horse it rode in on with, since this was Arthur he was kissing, and the mark's brother could grow wings, horns and hoofs and fly away for all Eames cared, since this was Arthur, and this was him, and duty was only a word.

11 - Earth

Continents apart, his hand on his cock, Eames could but to remember the way Arthur had arched up on the bed, twisting from all his fours and looked up at Eames, sweet, sweet words coming out in a flurry, telling Eames how he wanted to see him, watch him as he fucked Arthur six ways to Sunday, and it was that look in Arthur's eyes that made the Earth shudder and disappear when Eames came all over the memory.

12 - End

Dead end in the middle of nowhere, a paradox which meant a leap into nothing, had one not been readily acquainted with the maze Arthur had been forced to create for the job, as their architect was as incompetent as they came, and Eames grinned into the void, waving cheerfully after the, frankly fucking annoying, projection.

13 - Fall

Eames never really meant to fall for Arthur, that much he knew, but then again, lately, he had been feeling he didn't know much at all, for it had been Arthur who had meant for Eames to fall for him, regardless of what Eames had to say, and really, who was he to argue?

14 - Fire

Had Cobb had picked an element for the two, it'd been fire, for it was in their eyes when they saw each other, it was there when they touched, the Hell hath no fury when they fought, and what he didn't even dare guess, was the flames in which they burnt when they made up and fucked.

15 - Flexible

Arthur's heart stuttered, halted, and picked up a pace of a race horse when he opened the door to the sight of Eames kneeling on their bed, his other hand bringing himself off while his other hand was buried four fingers deep in his arse, the sweat on Eames's shoulders gleaming, making Arthur unsure which part of the man to engulf first.

16 - Flying

The PASIV was something Arthur was going to hug to his chest and kiss it firmly once they'd woken up from the dream in which there was only him and Eames, shrouded with cooling clouds, flying rather than rolling on the ground, kissing each other fiercely, all teeth and wet, pink lips, hunger for one another increasing in their guts with each passing second, both of them thinking only one thing; if making love in the clouds would be anything like fucking in the sea.

17 - Food

Ice cream was clearly the substance to consume in the sweltering Mombasa heat, but it had been Eames's idea that they'd eat it off of each other.

18 - Foot

Long, slender toes that matched Arthur's fingers, curling with a sigh and a groan and a deep growl when Eames flicked his tongue over the sole of Arthur's foot, Arthur laying on his stomach on the mattress, naked, vulnerable, and for Eames to do whatever he pleased, as for this, this there weren't a safe word.

19 - Grave

All they could do was to hold hands in front of the headstone of one Mallore Cobb, both of them speechless even though it had been years, but the pain, the what-could-have-beens, never went away, not with death, not with anything, when there was that knowledge shed on them in the fine print on the grave which spoke of an unborn child.

20 - Green

The dark, murky, acidy colour on Eames's tanned skin drove Arthur literally insane with not knowing whether to burn the shirt, or tear it off the man, carefully, intentionally ripping off and sending each button clattering on the floor.