The news of Maurice Fischer's death hit Arthur's radar within minutes/hours of it happening.

It didn't take long for Arthur to pack up what he had and be on the way to the warehouse to warn Cobb, getting there at the same time as Saito's driver pulled in.

After that, it was a flurry of activity. To get Eames and Yusuf to the warehouse, to make sure all documentation of the job was burned and to clean the warehouse of any fingerprints or discriminating evidence of their actions.

Saito assured them that he had the best team on it but Arthur preferred to do his own clean up. To make sure what needed to be burned was burned, etc.

Soon, they were all at the airport as they waited for the flight that would take them to Australia to meet up with Robert Fischer.

Arthur sat with a cup of airport coffee resting on a knee held onto by one hand and his phone in the other, flipping through news reports for something to catch his eye. After a few minutes, he typed out a text to Tony.

We're on the move. If all goes as planned, I'll be in LA by the weekend.

It had been two months since Arthur had seen Tony. Two months of text messages, phone calls and stolen moments over web cam while Arthur worked a job in Moscow. It was supposed to have been done weeks ago - simple extraction but of course, it never goes the way it should go despite his every precaution. Sometimes, the mark just doesn't want to do what you mentally will them and expect them to do.

He was finally in Malibu again without a tail on his trail and at least a week before he was off to the next job. It was 5:30 in the morning (5:34 a.m. to be exact) and he knew that when he walked into Tony's house, Tony would be asleep. Instead of entertaining himself for the next several hours, he knew he would rather be at Tony's Malibu mansion and in the man's arms than anywhere else. And he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, Tony would prefer the same.

It was 5:50 when he pulled up to the house in the rental car and it took hardly any time to get inside with what he needed (PASIV, messenger bag and suitcase), using the key Tony had given him so many months ago on that first job. He left everything resting inside of the doorway (he wouldn't be needing them right away) and locked the door before heading up the steps to Tony's room - keeping silent as he did so as to not wake anyone else.

Arthur felt a smile tug on his lips when he stepped into the older man's bedroom and shut the door gently behind him. Not completely silent so as to completely startle Tony but still keeping it quiet.

Fuck, but he had missed him.

He toed of his shoes and socks, removed his suit jacket and rested it over a chair before undoing the buttons on his waist coat. The entire time, he kept his gaze on Tony's form underneath the blankets. Knowing him, he had probably only been asleep for only an hour or two at most. They were very much alike in that regard.

Before long, Arthur slid underneath the blanket next to Tony with only a pair of boxers on.

taken/continued from here

It started out quietly, and then, quite suddenly, you're caught in a storm. Time to find cover. Nothing much to do but to wait it out.

Inception.

Arthur had said it couldn't be done and yet here he was, boarding a plane to Prague just hours after completing the unfathomable.

They had just barely scraped through, what with all of the last minute plan changes, and they wouldn't know for weeks whether the seed would take but so far it looked like it had and they were all alive. To be honest, it had been one of the most difficult jobs of Arthur's career and also the most eye opening experience he's had in a long time.

Once Cobb and Fischer Jr had left with their respective parties, Arthur had seen their forger and chemist off. They were a pair who defied the expectations of their profession openly admitted to being together and never working without the other to wherever it was that they would spend their fourth - fifth honeymoon. ("Cabo." "God no, remember last time?" "Nepal? You liked Nepal." "It wasn't Nepal that I liked so much as --" Anyway, you get the picture.)

Once he had seen them off, he watched Ariadne buy her ticket for her return trip to Paris (she did have classes to return to after all) and would be sure to keep in contact with the architect. She had promise and if she chose to continue in dream share, she should work with some of the best.

As for Arthur himself, he booked the first flight he could to Prague. He had a safe house there and he could take a little time off to relax, study what Fischer did and check in with Cobb to see how he and the children were adjusting. He would never work with the extractor again unless in dire circumstances but the whole point was getting him back home to his children. As far as Arthur saw it, he had done just that.

He didn't normally indulge in first class seating when leaving a job - it could draw too much attention but for a fourteen hour flight, after just getting off of a long flight, he didn't feel like sitting in cramped corners with a child on one side and one behind him kicking his chair. At least in first class, that was bound to happen less. For now, it appeared that the chair next to him was empty and he was a little thankful for that. Perhaps he'd get a little sleep after all - well, eventually. Once the adrenaline of what he just helped accomplished wore off.

The job was done.

Inception was done and fuck -- from what he could tell, it had gone successfully.

So far.

Cobb had gone through customs with not so much as a blink and left with his father-in-law to his kids. Fischer Jr had left a little after that and Ariadne was heading back to Paris to return to her classes and studies. Arthur loaded the PASIV onto his luggage cart and looked around, spotting Eames standing near a pillar.

Throughout the planning stages of the job, they had been snarky, condescending (to a certain degree), and on just this side of antagonistic. It was after he found out that there was a very real possibility that they could be shot down to limbo that Arthur mentally backtracked for a split second and thought about Eames -- thought about that night and thought about what they haven't discussed yet. When Eames called him 'darling' down in the first level in what he was sure was a condescending manner, Arthur found himself wanting to say something. But, he didn't. Eames was striding away after he took his shot.

When they were on the second level and everyone was hooking themselves in, who he should have helped was Ariadne but Arthur found himself kneeling down next to Eames and helping him with his lead, giving him a quirk of his lips. Everything could be shot to hell in a matter of seconds/minutes/hours and he could feel himself wanting that lasting touch, just in case.

They couldn't risk talking in public no matter if Robert and Cobb had gone, still -- he felt ready to talk to the other man about what happened months ago. About where this left them -- if it left them anywhere.

Eames had mated with him. Well...to be fair, his wolf had mated with him and that meant something according to his research. Something that couldn't exactly be ignored. As he made his way out of the airport with his luggage, Arthur pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Eames.

If you're not heading anywhere quick, meet me at the Renaissance hotel nearby? We can talk.

Mombasa wasn't exactly Arthur's sort of place. He enjoyed the cooler climates more than the warmer but he was only here to hire Eames for a job that he, Cobb and Nash were taking in two weeks. With any luck, he would agree and Arthur would be on the first flight back out that night or by morning.

It took some searching and some asking around but Arthur managed to pinpoint a location where the forger was staying and made his way there. He held his jacket over his arm when he arrived at Eames' flat and looked around the area closely, making sure he hadn't been followed before he knocked on the door. He hoped the man was home or he'd just have to wait.

He hoped Eames would take the job -- at least he knew the forger would get his shit done.

As far as Arthur saw it, being home for two weeks was a week too long. He had caught up with the friends and family members he cared to see and catch up with. He ran. He slept. But now, that itch was creeping up again - wanting to get out and do something, travel somewhere.

It was with a grain of hope that Arthur picked up the phone when Mal called. He hoped she would have a job or have heard something. Besides, it was wonderful talking to her, as always. "Good evening, Mal," he smiled, looking in the fridge for something before taking out a bottle of water.

It was a month in on this job from hell, or so he was starting to mentally refer to it as, and there was a faint light at the end of the tunnel that he could faintly see. They were hardly to the point where Arthur would feel confident in saying they were ready but they were making progress.

As he had promised, Arthur sent a text at least once a week even if it was as simple as 'i'm alive', 'hey' and 'how was your day'. Something where Tony knew he was alive and well.

It was Friday and even Arthur, the workaholic that he was prone to be, wanted the evening off just as much as everyone else seemed to. Instead of hitting a local restaurant or bar with the others, Arthur decided to return to his hotel suite and order in room service.

With his order in front of him and a glass of wine, Arthur picked up his phone and thought about what time it would be in California. 7:15 in the evening in Paris was roughly 10 AM in California. If Tony didn't get back to him now, Arthur would be up for a while either way.

Alone and I want you. Oh, and good morning, love.