Bridge Shuffle

by nordBleu

film: Inception (2010)

pairing/warnings: Eames/Arthur / violence

word count: 618

summary: Eames falls in love over a deck of cards.

notes: Set during the film timeline. Saito is not present because I'm sure he has business to take care of.

disclaimer: I do not own Inception, its characters or anything officially affiliated with it.

After Ariadne throws one of her models to the floor and crushes one of the taller buildings with a roar under her boot, Cobb decides it was a good time to take a break and call a game night.

Yusuf agreed simply because he was a little lonely in his lab. Arthur didn't mind because his computer was loading slowly.

Eames was simply enthusiastic at the chance to gamble.

Arthur had glared at him. "If you cheat, I will shoot one of your toes off."

"That's only if you catch me."

Arthur gave him a look that said, "Oh, don't challenge me."

Eames decided he didn't mind playing honest just this once.

They decided on blackjack because Ariadne and Yusuf didn't understand how to play poker.

"I don't understand, Yusuf. You've played with me before."

"You mean that one time on my birthday? I was guessing."

"But you won three times in a row."

Yusuf shrugged. "I guessed."

Arthur slammed down a deck onto the table they were gather around.

"Shall we get down to business, gentlemen?"

Eames raised his eyebrows and grinned. "You as dealer? Don't forget to take out the joker, love."

Arthur threw him a "Continue to fuck with me and I'll shoot your toes off anyways" look.

Eames shut his mouth.

It dropped open again as soon as Arthur started shuffling the cards.

It was a simple riffle bridge shuffle but Arthur's fingers moved quick and precise, the cards clicking together in a steady, consistent rhythm.

Arthur pushed the cards together, tapped the deck on the table and shuffled again.

Eames might have fallen in love. With Arthur.

Eames tried to process the idea again - he might be in love with Arthur - but as soon as Arthur began dealing, the cards hitting the surface with a clean snap, Eames was certain: He was in love with Arthur.

Eames looked up from admiring the curvature of Arthur's knuckles when he heard a giggle.

Ariadne was trying to hide her smile behind her cards, clearly amused at Eames' new interest (Arthur tapped the surface of the table. "Ariadne, please leave your cards down."), Yusuf was studying his cards and Cobb-

Cobb was glaring at Eames and, in his squint, Eames could read his message very clearly: Cobb knew what he was thinking and if Eames was going to act on it in anyway, Cobb was going to shoot him. In the face. Cobb was going to shoot Eames in the face.

Eames scooted his chair away from him.

x

Cobb busted. Yusuf and Ariadne both got twenty-one but Eames won with a blackjack.

x

"Is there a reason you deal cards like a god?"

"What."

"That was obviously a practiced skill, what you showed last night."

Arthur titled his head slightly. "I just… I play solitaire a lot."

Eames didn't notice when Cobb made his way around the corner and was promptly shot in the face.

Thank God for dreaming and test runs because Eames is sure that Cobb would have done the same thing regardless if they were awake or not.

x

Eames walks into the warehouse to see Arthur setting up a game of solitaire.

There are clicks and snaps as Arthur turns over the cards from the deck in his hands to the row on his desk.

It's only when Arthur looks up when Eames realizes he's staring.

"Do you need something, Eames?"

Eames waves his hand dismissively. "Oh, nothing, nothing. Just- just continue."

Arthur is back to flipping cards and Eames is very certain he's in love.

Arthur doesn't notice when Cobb storms into the room, gun in hand, but Eames is running because, oh dear God, he's fairly sure this is reality.

This might be crack.

I've never written crack before so I wouldn't know.

So… This is my attempt at being humorous.