Dinner in Dubai - For Clarkie

[loadedparadox]

The idea of even asking him to dinner had come out of nowhere. Then, while in Dubai doing some militarization for a sheik, he had made the dinner plans. Part of Arthur realized that by making the selection of Ossiano at Atlantis he was making this a date. Yet he wouldn't let himself think about that as he sent the text.

Friday. Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah island. 8 pm seating.

Arthur waited for Eames in the lobby though. Dressed to the nine in a tuxedo by his favourite Savile Row tailor. He had gone overboard and he had no idea why except he could. And he wanted to.

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[loadedparadox]

"I think we should make sure that we have a full experience in everything while we're here," he said with a wicked smile, staring intently at Eames. He just wanted to watch him for his reaction, to see what it was that made him react. A desire for specifics meant in all things, even if it didn't always show.

"I can live with fickle," he said, taking that for a lot, including a warning. Perhaps when this week was over, it would be completely over and done. What stayed in Dubai, perhaps?

Arthur smiled then, winking at Eames. "Maybe you'll get your chance later," he said with a nod, taking a drink.

"Well, don't get your hopes too up. I have a two bedroom suite."

[freebaseforger]

Eames looked up from the menu and sent Arthur a wicked smile in return. "I'm glad we're in agreement, darling." He has said just what Eames had been thinking.

He nodded. He couldn't say one way or the other what would happen after Dubai but he did know one thing, he wasn't going to waste any time that they had together. Relationships weren't exactly his strong suit. He couldn't even remember when the last time he had a relationship was. But this -- he wasn't sure what this was. This was a date and a lot of hints at more than just a date.

"I do hope so," he said, sending a wink in his direction. Eames sat down the menu again and relaxed in his seat, keeping his eyes on Arthur. Oh but it was easy to keep his eyes on the point man.

"Shame," Eames sighed but the grin that curled on his lips betrayed him. "Might be a lot more fun to share a suite though -- if you're offering."

[loadedparadox]

Arthur had no idea where they were going, but that didn't stop him or slow him down. He wanted to dive into this, to not back down from it. He wanted this, as much as he had wanted anything in his life, especially in this new life where he had kept himself so closed off from the world.

Oh this was playful and fun and more than Arthur had expected the night to be. Part of him was worried it was spiraling out of control and yet, at the same time, he didn't want it to stop. Not right now. Later, then he'd deal with the fallout. Maybe never if he handled it right.

"Wicked boy," he murmured, sipping and staring at Eames.

"Play nice and who knows where you'll end up though," he said after that single word. "And I am. Offering that is."

[freebaseforger]

It was the fact that it was Arthur he was flirting with and teasing with that made it comfortable for Eames to truly not care where the night took them - where the week took them and further down the line. Usually, while he teased, snarked and flirted with people easily as Eames, he didn't typically mean it. He used his looks and his charm as a facade to hide the true person that he was underneath that. It was Arthur though and that changed the game. He wanted to see where this went. See where it could go.

His eyebrows rose at the murmured words and a smirk to curl on his lips. "Very," he said with a rakish wink. Oh but Arthur was a minx.

"Taking care of my previous accommodations will not be a problem then," he said and stretched a leg out, his foot perhaps touching one of Arthur's.

The waiter returned then to ask if they were ready to order or if they needed a little longer.

[loadedparadox]

It was the first time in a long time that Arthur found himself getting in deep and realizing that he liked it. He liked being himself, the man he had been before he'd run and hide, before he became more point man than person. Now though, now he wasn't hiding, he was just being himself and he hadn't realized how much he missed it until then.

His foot shifted, insole brushing Eames' ankle as he looked up, placing their order with a smile. It was only when the waiter left that he returned his gaze to Eames.

"And you don't mention if you plan to be good or not,' he noted, a wicked smile curving his lips.

[freebaseforger]

The fact that Arthur returned his footsie actions made a crooked smile to bloom on his lips. When Arthur ordered for them, he didn't mind in the least and only handed the menu back off to the waiter. He attention and gaze returned to Arthur as he brought his glass up to his lips and took a drink.

"Oh, what would be the fun in that, darling," he asked with a smirk. "Did you expect me to reveal my hand too soon?"

[loadedparadox]

He continued that gentle touch, playing and toying with him because he could. And yet, he leaned a bit toward Eames, focusing his gaze on the other man's eyes.

"I think you already have, Darling," he said with a slow drawl. "You've revealed a lot."

[freebaseforger]

Eames could truly say he didn't mind Arthur playing and toying with him. It was another side to the point man that he was quickly becoming enraptured with. He slid his foot up and along the other man's calf, watching him with an intense gaze.

"Ah, of course," he said. "I think we've both revealed a good deal, don't you?"

[loadedparadox]

He nodded, unwilling to lie about it at this point. He knew he had shown most of his hand and can't deny that he had shown as much as he had. It worried him a little that he'd shown as much as he had.

"I suspect it is only the beginning," he admitted, downing the rest of his drink.

[freebaseforger]

Eames didn't feel any better about it than Arthur did. Here they were, two men who prided themselves on keeping things close to the vest and they were spilling more than they probably intended to each other. "As do I," he admitted and finished off his drink. "Another?" he asked, nodding to the glass. He could probably use another.

[loadedparadox]

He nodded, sitting back. "Yeah. I need another one," he admitted, sighing heavily. "I think we need to set at least one ground rule," he said, knowing suddenly he sounded like the point man that Eames knew more than the boy he'd sounded like a moment before.

"No matter what happens this weekend, I don't want this to change anything. We go back to working together, no matter what happens. Agree?"

[freebaseforger]

Eames nodded his head in agreement before he looked over, caught the eye of the waiter to get two more drinks sent their way. He turned back to Arthur and breathed a silent sigh of relief. "No, I definitely agree," he said. "I agree, we go back to working together no matter what. I suspect we should keep this close to the vest too, yeah?"

[loadedparadox]

Part of Arthur did wonder if Eames was ashamed to be involved with him. Despite the dozen reasons why he could see the logic of it, that it would protect them both - especially if it ever became something - he had that momentary twinge that perhaps it was something more. Yet he nodded.

"Of course, that makes sense. Can't imagine Cobb's reaction." Which was the least of the ones he worried about."

[freebaseforger]

Eames was far from ashamed. In fact, he was proud to be at dinner with someone like Arthur who was intelligent, deadly with a weapon and his tongue and gorgeous. Still, there were reasons upon reasons why they couldn't just let it out that they were together, right? He didn't hear Arthur argue with that so he nodded.

"Right, course," he said with a nod as the waiter brought over their fresh drinks and took the empty glasses with him as he left again. If there was anyone that Eames wanted a relationship of soem kind to work out with, it would be Arthur.

[loadedparadox]

He waited for the waiter to come and go, picking up his glass and taking a drink. He settled back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. He watched Eames with a dark gaze, definitely enjoying the beauty of the man across from him.

"To you now thinking of nothing but being inside my vest," he said with a laugh.

[freebaseforger]

Eames picked up his glass and took a drink from it before licking his lips. He allowed one side of his lips to curl up into a smirk as he looked over the man across from him. "I wouldn't so much as say only your vest, darling," he purred and allowed the insole of his shoe to slide along the other man's ankle slowly before he sat up straighter and moved his foot away.

It was amazing. The underwater ocean was just on the other side of the glass and yet, Eames found himself hardly taking his eyes off his date for the evening.

[loadedparadox]

It was Eames' tone that made Arthur chuckle and not the joke. "All of it is running around in your head, isn't it," he asked, knowing the forger had one hell of an imagination. "What I have to wonder though is if you think this was all a ploy to try and get you alone and naked."

It hadn't been Arthur's intent, yet he couldn't help but wonder if Eames had arrived expecting this, or at the very least thinking about it. Arthur hadn't allowed himself those thoughts until he'd seen the forger there in the lobby.

[freebaseforger]

Eames tilted his head at the question and studied him silently as he considered what to say. They had been honest this far into the night, he might as well continue doing so. All hint of the teasing forger was lowered and instead, came the logic that was just as natural as anything else. "No, I didn't think this was a ploy at all to get me alone and naked," he said, honestly. "A dinner between men who are perhaps friends and co-workers, yes but whether or not you had intended this when you invited me to Dubai, no."

Relationships and especially relationships with co-workers weren't exactly his strongest suit. Flirtation and teasing came naturally but it was something different to find someone that he truly meant it when he teased and when he flirted. Once Arthur started to reciprocate those teasing and flirtatious remarks, Eames continued. "Are you wanting this, Arthur?" he had to ask. "A week to figure out where we stand with each other and if it's good, we continue and if it's not, then we have at least one trustworthy co-worker that we can count on."

[loadedparadox]

He decided to go with honesty. If they were getting into bed together, whether literally or as friends and having some kind of relationship - whatever it was - then he needed to try honesty. At least to a degree.

"I didn't intend it to go here. I thought... I thought maybe with having those other sides, and knowing one another's other life now, then maybe it would be enough to form a friendship over. Then you got here and..."

And he hadn't been able to help himself. Not with the way Eames looked.

Shifting in his head, he leaned forward towards Eames. "Yeah, that's what I want. I didn't come here knowing that but now, laying it out like this, that's what I want."

[freebaseforger]

Eames nodded in understanding and agreement. His lips curled up. Oh but he knew what that must have meant. "You were taken by my presence," he couldn't help but tease the other man. "Approve of the suit then, darling?"

He placed his arms on the table as he leaned closer toward Arthur, keeping his eyes on him. "Then we're in agreement. A week then we figure out what to do from there," he said, lifting a hand to brush over Arthur's cheek - touching as he had wanted to since he met the man in the lobby.

He couldn't help but think that they had a lot of similarities. They both had two sides to them that not many people were privy to and that alone gave them the biggest connection, he would say.

[loadedparadox]

"The suit is nice," he agreed, rolling his eyes playfully at the rest of it. "But it wasn't the suit that caught my eye. Something about you since I started learning more about the real you," he admitted, knowing that Eames would know what he meant.

He blinked at that, leaning into the touch before he could stop himself. Damn but it was gentle and intimate and not at all common for him. "Just look towards this week," he nodded, knowing he couldn't let himself think past it or too much logic would get in the way.

[freebaseforger]

And Eames did know what Arthur meant. It was how he was feeling regarding the point man and his other side as well. "I think that's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me," his lips curled up. He liked the fact that Arthur enjoyed the real him and not merely the facade that he put on.

He watched as Arthur tilted his head into his hand and smiled. "I look forward to it," he said, softer than normal before he settled in his seat and rest his hand back on the table in front of them.

[loadedparadox]

He grinned as their food arrived. "You need to spend time with a better quality of criminal then," he said with a smile. "You deserve to hear more romantic things."

And he honestly believed that. He wasn't laying down lines but being sincere.

[freebaseforger]

He was silent as their food was placed in front of him and couldn't help but send Arthur a smile. "Is that right," he asked. Eames knew that Arthur was telling the truth though - at least with him and where they were now.

"Enlighten me, darling, a better quality of criminal would include...you?" Oh, but he hoped so. He didn't need compliments or romantic things but sometimes...well, sometimes it was nice to hear regardless if you needed them or not.

[loadedparadox]

He was digging himself into a hole, but the truth was that Arthur couldn’t stop himself. It was much more amusing than it should have been to tease and play like this.

“I am the best quality of criminal you can find,” he said with a snort, lifting his chin and smiling. “And a better romantic than I’m sure those that claim I have no imagination could believe,” he said, definitely teasing then.