Dream a Little Dream (Inception: Arthur/Dom) For Me

Dream a LIttle Dream (Inception: Arthur/Dom) For Me (Chapter Fifteen)

“This is so stupid,” I said, mostly to myself. Arthur refused to just walk through the front entrance, convinced that if we did so, we would immediately be surrounded by projections. I didn’t see how going up a fire ladder was any better. I stared at the steps skeptically. Arthur sighed.

“Come on, you can’t stand here and stare at it all day. Up you go.”

“I’m not going up first!”

“Why not?”

“Uh, if there is a projection up there waiting for me, I cannot shoot a gun while holding onto a ladder. Well, I probably could, but the chances of me actually hitting it are slim to none, so really you just – “

“Oh shut up,” he interrupted, “I’ll go first.”

I smiled with my win and watched as he jumped up and grabbed the edge of the first platform. For a moment I feared that we wouldn’t be able to get up, but with surprising strength, Arthur pulled himself up and reached down for my hands. I grabbed them and let him pull me up with him. Once I got my bearings I followed Arthur up the stairs. He looked back occasionally to make sure that I hadn’t disappeared somehow, but all I could think of when he looked at me was, why are you so freaking handsome?

We climbed nearly three stories before Arthur decided that we were safe to enter. So using a small kit, he broke into the lock on the window and pulled it open. I helped him push it up, then ducked inside. He followed quickly, his gun up as he moved in a circle, looking for any enemies. There were none, and I started off at a brisk jog, tossing off my low heels. This girl was going bare foot.

Arthur grabbed my wrist. “Wait.”

“What?” I spun around, impatient. “We don’t have time for this!”

“You can make a little time,” he said, persistent. “I want to know why you’re avoiding me. The truth.”

“It’s…easier,” I hedged. I looked around, nerves coursing through my body. If we didn’t get moving, the projections were sure to find us. “Now is really not the time, Arthur!”

“Now is the perfect time!” Arthur seemed angry – a first for him. I sighed and rubbed my forehead with the palm of my hand. It really wasn’t good timing, but there was no getting around this. I could see from the look on his face that he was not budging from where we were until we got this covered. He wanted answers, and I couldn’t really blame him.

“After you kissed me I got confused, okay? I don’t know what I feel or what not…it sounds lame, but that’s all there is to it, okay?”

“You don’t know how you feel,” he replied flatly. Footsteps were heard, and he pulled me into a room in the hallway, locking the door behind us. He turned to face me again. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like.”

“Either you like me or you don’t, Alexia. It’s pretty simple.” His tone was curt, but I could see in his eyes how much he wanted me to respond in a positive way. And for a moment, I could feel my mouth forming the words that he so desired, and in a way, words that I desired. But I couldn’t do it. I lied to a lot of people, but Arthur was not going to be one of them. I only hoped that the relationship I had with him wouldn’t be destroyed.

“I like you…but I think I like someone else, too. I just don’t know,” I confessed. It was the first time saying it out loud and admitting it – it felt good. The look on Arthur’s face wasn’t so good, especially when it went from confusion to understanding in a second.

“You like Dom.”

“Love to hate, hate to love?” I grinned cheekily, but his face remained stony. I sighed. “You asked for the truth. I’m not going to lie to you and sugar coat it. Yes, I like you. Yes, I like kissing you – a lot. You’re a great kisser. But there’s something about Dom that intrigues me and draws me in.”