maybe we show some mercy

[falsify]

[Usually, facing your fears means discovering they're not as bad as they seemed in your head. That your mind catastrophises and exaggerates and the reality is nowhere near what it seemed. Eames certainly wishes that were the case here, but it turns out the reality is far worse than anything that crossed his mind. He'd long since come to terms with the idea that getting caught meant death, but the captain of this discreet little crew made a point of talking about "re-education" with such conviction that it seems like a very real possibility. A real possibility that terrifies Eames in ways he didn't even know he could feel.]

[It's hard not to be mad at himself, and in fact he is. He's fucking furious. Years of being meticulous about hiding from the Empire rendered obsolete because some asshole wanted to make some quick money and Eames hadn't spotted the signs even though that's exactly the kind of thing he's supposed to be good at. And now here he is, bound in a cell on a ship, no idea how long he's been here or where they are — no idea about much of anything outside this room, actually — pumped full of power inhibitors to make doubly sure he can't escape.]

[Fucking hell but it hurts. Hands cuffed behind his back, made to stay on his knees for... A long time. Simultaneously can't feel his legs and yet the muscles burn and ache. All of him a mess of cuts and bruises, a mix of injuries from fighting back and some from cruelty passed off as discipline. He thinks his nose might be broken and one of his eyes is swollen into a semi-permanant squint. The longer he kneels here, the more Eames thinks the inhibitor injections were less about preventing escape and more about making sure he couldn't heal away the beatings; making sure he'd suffer through every moment of the trip "home."]

Comments

[falsify]

[Eames shakes his head.]

You're amazing. Putting up with you is more than worth it.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur smiles wryly up at him, blinking sleepily despite his best efforts to keep this going.]

You're just saying that because I saved your life.

[falsify]

[He snorts a laugh.]

That's worth a lot.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur gives him a sleepy look.]

I was just doing what I had to.

[falsify]

[He lazily curls some of Arthur's hair around a finger and pushes it behind his ear, putting his head down with a gentle sigh as if to go to sleep. It's a moment or two before he speaks, sombre and quiet.]

You're the only person who would.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur sighs and frowns, bringing his hand up to brush his fingers through Eames' hair.]

I'm the only person who knows you as well as I do. No one else has the pleasure of knowing that you're worth it.

[falsify]

[It's a weird thing he's never really thought about, never having been close to anyone before Arthur. He's had good friends, people who might make an effort to help him out, but nobody who'd even consider going to the length Arthur did.]

[He cuddles in a little tighter, squeezing his arm around Arthur briefly before he settles.]

Go to sleep.

[specifiercity]

Mm.

[Arthur's on board with this plan. He does his best to press a kiss to Eames' head and lays his head down with the full intention of falling asleep as quickly as possible.]

[falsify]

[Eames isn't really tired, not enough to sleep anyway. He hasn't been awake for long and he's still keyed up from having his shapeshifting again, but he's content to stay here. He feels safe here. It's another thing he's never thought about before, that he feels safe with Arthur. Maybe more for knowing the lengths he'd go to for him, but Eames has for some time now.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur sleeps deeply but given all the rest he's had lately he only needs two or three hours before he's going to slowly wake up and hum some acknowledgement of the world around him.]

[falsify]

[Eames has been here, aggressively trying to think about anything other than his time as a prisoner-- focusing on Arthur's breathing, how he smells, running maintenance lists in his head. Anything. When Arthur sounds like he's coming to, Eames perks up, desperate for a distraction, and lifts his head with a smile.]

Hey there.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur smiles like has been every time he wakes up and is reminded that Eames is with him.]

Hey.

[falsify]

[He leans in for a kiss, slow and lazy since Arthur's waking up.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur hums again and matches Eames, though he's a little extra lazy since he's not fully awake yet.]

[falsify]

[Despite himself, Eames makes a slightly desperate noise in the back of his throat, and it's hard not to try and make this more intense. He barely catches himself before he tries to push it, but he does.]

[It's part of why he breaks the kiss, taking a moment before he moves to nose at Arthur's face.]

Want me to see if we've got any caffeine?

[specifiercity]

[Arthur senses the intensity trying to get through there but he decides to wait before he acknowledges it, raising his eyebrows and smiling.]

Mm, I'd love some caffeine.

[falsify]

[He pats Arthur's chest affectionately and disentangles himself to sit up, grunting in discomfort when gravity reminds him of certain things, but you know what? He's just gonna let it happen. And Arthur can watch that trail run diwn his thigh as he shamelessly and nonchalantly walks out of the room to see what they have.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur does watch, smiling wryly and shaking his head as he waits for Eames to come back, starting to brainstorm ideas as to how to pay him back for the excellent sex earlier. He thinks it might be better to let Eames come up with it but just in case.]

[falsify]

[Eames comes back with two cups of some coffee-like drink they picked up somewhere or other, Arthur says it's nothing like it but it tastes similar enough to Eames. Either way it's hot and tasty and caffeinated and Eames presents it to Arthur with a smile and seats himself on the bed next to Arthur's head.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur smiles and pushes himself up to take the cup and hold it in both hands and just enjoy the heat for the moment.]

[falsify]

[Eames watches him for a moment, he really is beautiful, sometimes he thinks he could just look at Arthur and do nothing else for hours. His gaze moves down and Eames reaches out to trace a finger along an old scar on Arthur's thigh, letting his mind wander to the scrapes they've gotten out of together.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur watches Eames' hand with a sleepy smile.]

Sometimes I wish I didn't scar.

[falsify]

[Eames makes an amused noise at that.]

Sometimes I wish I did. It's like a record of where you're been, what you've done.

[He pauses to sip his drink and raises his eyebrows.]

Proof that you've lived.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur nods, thinking on that for a moment before he lifts his arm to show Eames a small scar on his elbow with a smirk.]

I got this one falling down the stairs when I was three.

[falsify]

And you lived to tell me about it.

[so there]