Paris in Springtime

[loadedparadox]

((Rp for dreamsofmazes for Iris verse))

They had been back in Paris for two weeks. Despite returning with her, Arthur had given her space. Assuring the warehouse was clean, he released the rental and then set about finding his own place. Settling in, he made himself do what might have made him nervous otherwise. Furniture, his clothes shipped in, even plants in the kitchen and bathroom, offering a hint of hominess to it all.

Only after it was all done did he send the invitation to Ariadne, inviting her over for dinner. Preparing, he set the table, ordered the food and then moved it all to pots and pans to make the pretense that he might know how to cook more than the handful of meals he tended to make for himself the few times he had kitchens in his hotel rooms.

Dressed careful, button down shirt, tucked in but sleeves rolled and collar unbuttoned, slacks and loafers. Lighting the candles on the table, going all out, including pastries waiting for dessert.

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[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

For a long time he didn't answer, watching her. The look in her eyes, the smile curving her lips, the sway of her body. "Actually you work on me," he said with a small smile.

"You haven't seen the paper plates and silver because I never remembered dishes."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her smile grew a bit wider at that, her nose wrinkling at it. As she tried like hell to hide the blush the was now showing. And finding herself speechless a moment, turning her attention back onto Paris, chewing on her lower lip, attempting to hide the nonstop smile plaguing her now.

"You telling me, you hate doing dishes?" She finally said, sending a side long glance his way.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

Arthur laughed, not looking at the view but at her. Noting the smile, the flush to her cheeks. It was easy to remember why he got on that plane for France. "I'm saying I never eat at home so I forgot dishes," he admitted.

"Though I do have the world's fluffiest bath towels," he teased.

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"It's cute Arthur." Her attention finally turning back towards him. That smile now more calm, though you could see it still in her eyes. "I like that about you."

"Though, I'm serious, if you find me living in there. Feel free to cozy up. I don't bite."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"What you like about me is that I'm cute and eat poorly," he asked, a small smile still curving his lips.

"You don't?" He pushed away from the wall, walking over until he was parallel to her, back to the window. "Shame. Come on then. Dinner will burn." And he head to the kitchen, hiding a smile.

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"Yes, you figured me out." She said, a light tease in her tone. Only to scrunch her features together at his comment, again finding herself flustered.

Standing there a moment as he went into the kitchen, only in hopes of buying her a quick recovery time, hoping not to embarrass herself any. "Sounds like something I would say, the burning part." She called towards him, as she finally turned on her heels towards the kitchen. Propping her elbows against the counter to watch him. "Anything I can do? Well..at least try to do?"

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"So you don't cook either? Sounds like we'd starve pretty quickly if not for take away," he teased, stirring one pot and then checking on another. "I took a chance you didn't have any food allergies, though not much of a chance. Nothing in your file, and you never mentioned it during the Fischer case so..."

"There's a bottle of wine on the counter over there," he said with a nod. "Corkscrew is in the drawer below it if you don't mind opening it."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"God no." She snorts, eyes watching him curiously, a smile playing on her lips. "I burn toast. Fairly sure we'll starve if we have to rely on our culinary skills."

Shaking her head, an amused smile on her face as she went to dig in the said drawer for the corkscrew. "It's odd you know so much about me. Yet I know so little about you." She stated, her eyes glancing over to him. "Not that I mind of course. Just find it funny." Her eyes back on the task at hand then, as she went about opening the bottle.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Mmmm, burnt toast," he said with a grin. "I'm sure I'd love it." Getting out the heavy duty paper plates, he started serving up the food. "Maybe later we can go online and you can help me pick out dishes," he suggested, turning to look at her.

"Well, I'll make you a deal. You can ask questions but I reserve the right not to answer, but if I answer, I'm telling the truth and not going to try and hide from it. Deal?"

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her smile grew a bit wider at that, a fond smile on her face as she went searching for stemware. "Or I could just take you on a date to IKEA." Pausing, eyes turning back on him. "Less that's not your sorta thing." She asked, more teased then anything.

"Suppose thats fair, Arthur." Nodding as she pulled the glasses down. "Where you from?"

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Upper cabinet, left hand side," he said, nodding once more. "A date to go shopping. I think we could make that work. You could help me with the entire issue I'm having with pillows. Never can find the right ones."

He paused a moment, nodding. "I was born in Upstate New York but grew up in the City."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"of course you can make it work. It's what you do best after all." A tease to her tone, watching him out of the corner of her eye, as she went about filling the glasses. "And I will gladly throw my taste at you. Even with pillows. Though I tend to like fluffy comfy things."

Head canting to the side, she smiled, nose crinkling as she attempted to picture that. "Can I say, I can see that. Only been there once. But I can see that. You in the city that is. Not sure you could handle calm and empty places." Pausing, her eyes lit up at the idea of it all. "Not that, that's a bad thing at all."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Yes but shopping is something else entirely. I have to say, I don't tend to do well with social situations, as well you've learned before now." Smiling though, doing rather well with the entire social thing between them. "Am I going to end up with a bed I have to strip down just so I can get into it?"

"No, not bad, but you're right. I grew up with the bustle and excitement of the city. My father taught physics," he said, glancing at her with a grin. "And my mom taught music. I grew up pretty much on my own but I loved it."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her brow arched, curiously more then anything. Only attempting to try, picturing him in a social situation. Or well, what he considered them to be. "Honestly? I thought, well I think, you do fine in them. You always impress me with how you are." She paused, head tilting to the side with a smile. "Perhaps it's all just an act?....I don't know." She shrugged, only to give him a playful smile before she continued. "Arthur, do I look that girly, that I would even let you have a bed like that?"


Her lips pursing together only to hide her smile, forming on her lips. "So that would be where you get your amazing teaching skills? Impressive."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

Chuckling, Arthur picked up the plate, giving a nod. "Come on. As for social situations, there's a difference between work ones and outside of work. I wouldn't even invite you here until it was finished, though I was wanting to since before now," he admitted, setting the plates down on the perfectly made up table. "My designer finished this morning."

Nodding, he looked proud. "There is that. They wanted me to go into education as well but I found something I was better at."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Quickly glancing at the table, she smiled. Only to then look around again a moment, again admiring all that he did. "Why didn't you then?" She asked, her attention now on him, with a curious brow. "It's not like you have to impress me. Though you know, I do love your place."

Nodding in agreement, she leaned up against the chair, watching him a moment. Unable to hide her smile that was on her face. "Well can I say, I'm glad you didn't go into teaching then?"

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"I know I don't need to impress you but I wanted to show something a bit more solid than a hotel room and room service, though I had a thought yesterday that made me almost cancel things." Setting the plates down, he came to pull out her chair.

"Do you plan to return to home after you graduate?"

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"And that would have been?" She asked, head tilting to the side quizzically. Now curious what would make him cancel on her.

Her lips pursed together in debate, sliding into the seat. Her attention still on him, and his ever chivalrous ways. "I don't know, I was offered an internship with, Atelier Zundel Cristea after I graduate. And well I can't see passing it up. It's too amazing of an opportunity. But...well." She paused, head bobbing in thought. "A lot has changed you know. Just trying to figure out the best way to go."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

He was quiet a minute, moving to sit into his own seat after assuring she was settled. "It hit me you were graduating soon and I was thinking about what you would be doing and if I would keep this place for long if you went back to the States." Why christen it with a meal, an evening together, if he wasn't staying.

"You should do what feels right to you, Ariadne. In all things."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Her nose crinkling at the idea slightly, not sure why her plans should be a reason to cancel. But she was more excited over the idea of seeing the place, worrying it could have been canceled was not something high on her list of likes. "You telling me, if I left, you wouldn't keep this place?" She asked now suddenly curious over what his answer to that might be then anything.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

He shrugged, moving to pour them both wine. "I didn't come to Paris for a nice view, Ariadne. Not to sound that stalkerish, but I wanted to explore a friendship with you. If you're not here, there's only texting and Skype."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Nodding her brow furrowed briefly in understanding. "Friendship..I get that. Not stalkerish." The corner of her lips curled into a ghost of a smile at it, before setting her napkin in her lap. "I'd like to have my own firm one day. So sticking around here seemed to be a good plan as of now. And well, I honestly didn't know how much I would be working with you all again. So it seemed like a good place to figure things out."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Good. I'd hate for you to see me as a stalker. Though I would be amazing at it, should I choose to. How do you think Dom found Eames," he said, smiling crookedly.

"When we finished Fischer, the life I'd had for three years was over. Dom was going home. I had no where to go and then you... So I came here to see why that bothered me so much," he admitted. "Why don't you think you'll be working in dream share much? Or you just don't think with us?"

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her brow rose, a smirk settling on her lips. "So you have a thing for stalking Eames then?" She asked, a slight tease to her tone, though laced with curiosity.

"Like I said, I'm glad you came back." There was a ghost of a nervous laugh at that, only to give him a sincere smile. Before bobbing her head again in thought, brow furrowing in thought of his question. "Well honestly? Figured I was just needed for that one job. Help get what Cobb needed. And then you all had your own things going. I don't know. Figured you would all need me, when you needed me." She shrugged at the thought of that, not sure if it was the write words she wanted or not. "As far as working with others. No. I don't see that."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

Picking up his glass and taking a drink, Arthur nearly choked on his wine. "Not... I do it for professional reasons. He's the best and that means, when I need him, I need to know where he is. I do the same with others in dream share."

"You're damn good. One job and you're one of the best out there," he noted, leaning forward earnestly. "You're also young, got sidelined by Cobb and maybe I put out word that you aren't to be bothered but through me. Speaking of, I have two jobs that want you. I'm not on either. Eames is on one. I haven't found a new extractor so not doing much field work yet."