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

[specifiercity]

That may have been wise.

[Arthur says it dryly because when have they ever been wise about anything to do with sex.]

[falsify]

I just needed you so badly. I still...

[He frowns and trails off, making a vague attempt to pass it off with one of those aftershocks still passing through him intermittently.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur pulls back just a little bit and cups Eames' face. His brows knit together as he tries to think of what to say; he wants to tell Eames that it's okay to talk if he wants but doesn't know how not to sound condescending about it.]

[falsify]

[Eames looks up at Arthur with a deep frown of concentration, voice low and quiet the way he is when he's almost afraid to actually be heard.]

I've never needed anything the way I need you.

[He shakes his head and looks past Arthur, up at the ceiling.]

Scares the shit out of me, to be completely honest, knowing I'd do anything for you without question.

[The last thing he felt that way about was the empire and, well. That's not a relationship that ended well, as they can both clearly see.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur sighs and gives Eames an attempt at a reassuring smile.]

Eames, I feel the same way. When you were gone, I... I never realized just how much I needed you before that.

[falsify]

I didn't think you'd come for me.

[He says it with a bit of a laugh even though it's not really a joke.]

Never once occurred to me that you'd go to those lengths for me, I figured you'd just... Move on.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur's thumb brushes along Eames' cheekbone affectionately as he frowns down at him.]

I don't think I'm capable of moving on.

[falsify]

[He doesn't know how to feel about that, his stomach twists in guilt but some part of him feels happy too. Some fucked up part of him that's glad Arthur's as deep in this as he is, and yet he can't help feeling like he shouldn't have let it happen. As if that's something he has any control over.]

[Eames closes his eyes, voice almost a murmur with a slight quiver.]

I'm so sorry.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur rests his forehead against Eames', eyes closed in a deeper frown.]

You don't have to apologize for anything.

[falsify]

I shouldn't have gotten caught, or let them take me, or fucking... I don't know. Should've been smarter, I guess.

[He shakes his head again, arms falling away from Arthur in as much of a physical withdrawal as is possible in this position.]

[specifiercity]

There's only so much one person can do against an entire empire, Eames.

[He keeps brushing Eames' cheek, trying to be soothing.]

Besides, you're back now and we will be better.

[falsify]

Yeah.

[He's not fully convinced, but he is back. They don't need to stress over hypotheticals.]

You're right.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur smiles wryly.]

I keep telling you I usually am.

[falsify]

[He snorts a laugh.]

Guess that's why you get the captain's seat.

[specifiercity]

It's probably a combination of that and the fact that you think me sitting in the captain's chair is hot.

[falsify]

Mm, it really is though.

[He stretches out a little and arches his back just slightly in a way that would imply he was extremely DTF if he wasn't still coming down from a really fucking intense orgasm.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur laughs and bows his head to catch Eames in a kiss for that ridiculousness.]

[falsify]

[Eames grins up into the kiss, fingers trailing affectionately up and down Arthur's back at the same time.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur hums and pulls back enough to grin down at him.]

I really like this.

[falsify]

Me too.

[He grins back.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur hums and cuddles in for a good little nap.]

[They manage a couple hundred hours or so more before Arthur decies to say anything that might rock the boat so to speak. He keeps telling himself that Eames' nightmares will get better that he doesn't need to say anything and he doesn't, but eventually they're gonna run out of water and food and fuel and the longer they put it off the fewer options they'll have for safe ports. So he tracks down Eames after going through one of his routine checklists.]

Hey, we need to start thinking about going to refuel somewhere.

[falsify]

[It takes about a week before Eames stops sleeping with Arthur, finding excuses to stay awake or even get out of bed. Things to read or maintenance that needs doing. He tries to avoid sleeping too deeply when he does, mostly operating in short naps here and there.]

[So he's too tired to really consider what refuelling could entail.]

Anywhere good for that in this system?

[specifiercity]

[He shrugs, a dissatisfied look on his face.]

There's a small station this side of the star right now but they have a fuel limit that won't fill our tank and not much in the way of food. We'll need to make another stop somewhere else before long.

[He looks down at the tablet he's holding with a sigh.]

The increased risk of making two stops instead of one is almost nothing in my opinion, the big difference is whether we want to leave soon or take a little more time to plot a course.

[falsify]

Might as well get it done.

[Eames glances at what he can see of the tablet with a sigh.]

Or at least find a bigger station we can get to, I'm suee we can find outposts for any supplies along the way.

[specifiercity]

Well, that's kind of the problem.

[He sits down and leans back, frowning down at the tablet still.]

I'd really like to make contact as little as possible for the forseeable future. If we leave within the next ten hours or so we'll have enough fuel to make it to a larger port and completely restock, oxygen and everything. That'll let us get a few jobs done without having to stop anywhere for a while, and we can make our way to the next sector of the galaxy without having to touch down anywhere other than package drops and the occasional quick food run.