shannys_corner | [fic] Preference

Title: Preference
Author:

kiyala
Word Count: 457
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Rating: PG
Warnings: N/A
Summary: Teenage/High school!AU in which Arthur and Eames are DC fanboys and Eames uses superhero preferences to come out to Arthur.
Disclaimer: Inception is the wonderful brainchild of Christopher Nolan
Notes: I get the dumbest ideas for drabbles when I'm working. Wrote this one out on my phone during my lunch break.

Arthur Gray and David Eames have been friends since their first year of high school, when they’d both reached for the same Superman Batman issue at the same time, and recognised each other. Arthur, the king of the chess club and Eames, the best striker on their soccer team (it’s football, he insists in the British accent that hasn’t faded, even though he’s seventeen now and hasn’t been back across the Atlantic in over ten years) are virtual opposites, as far as outward appearance is concerned. The fact that they’re such good friends doesn’t make sense to very many people, but they don’t care. They bicker, they tease each other and they compete fiercely, but at the heart of it all, they know they’ll always have each other’s backs.

Which is the only reason that one afternoon, when they’re sitting on the carpeted floor in Eames’ room after school and reading comics, Eames puts his newest issue of Batman down and clears his throat.

“Arthur?”

Immediately sensing something is wrong, Arthur puts his comic down and looks up. “Yeah?”

“You… y’know how most people uh, like Batman better than Superman?”

Arthur nods slowly, “Yeah…?”

“Um.” Eames looks at his hands as he continues, “What if I liked Superman better?”

“Uh.” For a moment, Arthur is confused. His eyebrows draw together as he thinks and Eames watches as the realisation dawns on him, and he understands that they’re not really talking about superheroes at all. Arthur stares into the distance as he thinks and then finally licks his lips before saying, “Well. I mean— I think— Well. Superman isn’t so bad.”

“Really,” Eames tries not to smile at the fact that Arthur is clearly the best friend in the world for sticking with the metaphor. Analogy. Whatever it is Eames is doing to skirt around the real issue.

“Oh, you know…” Arthur does his best to sound casual. He even shrugs a little. “Just, those muscles…”

“The charming smile,” Eames adds, nodding.

“And he’s such a nice guy.”

“Don’t forget,” Eames says quietly, licking his lips, “that slicked hair. The glasses he wears sometimes.”

“Those full lips. The stubble on his chin.” Arthur’s voice is remarkably even, but his hands, resting on the floor by his sides, are balled so tightly into fists that his knuckles are white.

“Arthur,” Eames says and before he quite realises, he’s on his hands and knees, crawling closer to his best friend. He laughs, a little nervously. “I don’t think you’re talking about Superman any more.”

“No,” Arthur nods in agreement, adjusting his glasses. He smiles, charming as always and his cheeks dimple. “I’m not.”

“I’m going to kiss you, now.”

“Yeah.” Arthur’s already wrapping his arms around Eames’ shoulders. “Okay.”

x

Note: I am, in no way, implying that superhero preferences are actually indicative of sexual preference. Besides — forget Batman and Superman, everyone can just ogle Dick Grayson's butt instead. ♥

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Inside of You, In Spite of You // ThouShaltNot