Title: I Seem to Be a Verb
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: Romance, AU
Length: Epic (93,719)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: bookshop
Author Website: AO3 | Tumblr

Author's Summary:
Notting Hill AU, written for the i_k prompt, "I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her." Arthur owns a quirky hipster science bookstore. Eames is a world-famous mega-celebrity.

Clearly this calls for a meet-cute.

Review:
One of the longer running Inception fics I have been following has finally been completed after a few years! And, to my delight, it is a wonder from start to finish.

What do I know about Notting Hill? Admittedly, not much. Do you need to know anything about the movie? Heck no, you'll enjoy this fic so much anyway. Here, Arthur's the owner of a book store. Both he and his store are eccentric--Arthur for not really caring about having customers ever, and the book store for only selling applied science books. Good thing Arthur doesn't seem to much care about things like turning a profit, at least at the beginning.

And then Eames, who is this huge celebrity, comes in one day, browses around, and accidentally makes the book store famous. Then he and Arthur get together and the entire thing is glorious. It's not all sunshine and puppies, the relationship is strained greatly by Eames's celebrity status and various secrets he keeps, as well as Arthur being poor at people matters in general, but you never doubt that they'll make it through in the end.

It's so much fun. So much fun. Celebrity names are dropped here and there, the author seems to delight in writing the fic with a certain tongue-in-cheek flair. The side characters, Ariadne especially, have their own lives and worries going on and you never forget that. The writing is smooth and polished, definitely easy to get yourself lost in. Overall, it's just a great fic that's long enough to sink in for a while and get happily lost in.

I Seem to Be A Verb

Title: Please be here until the morning
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium (8,156)
Warnings: N/A

Author on LJ: sorrynotsorry
Author Website: N/A

Author's Summary:
"What if I told you I couldn't help it?"

Review:
This fic follows Arthur as he discovers dream sharing (in high school, from a friend) to college and beyond. Mostly it's about Arthur and Eames and Eames's very many problems that make one want to punch him in the mouth. Oh wait, was that mostly me? Haha.

This fic was wonderful though. Arthur is perfectly lovely and all Arthur for all that he's young for a decent chunk of the fic. Just a little stiff, a lot focused, and all around competent at what he does. Eames is the forger that Cobb and Mal dig up, the one that Arthur bonds with before--well, there was a reason why I wanted to punch Eames in the mouth, though things do get better later.

The character interactions are amazing. Not everything is shoved at your face, but quietly laid out. For all that Eames can be a jerk, there is something earnest in his interactions with Arthur that saves him from being completely irredeemable. The fic doesn't end perfectly, but it does end on an uplifting note that fits.

There's also a companion piece and a short sequel linked, which just gives the story a bit more depth. A very nice read.

Please be here until the morning

Title: Counting Down to Another Day
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: Romance, Pre-Canon
Length: Medium (12,801)
Warnings: Brief references to torture and pregnancy termination (both in the past)

Author on LJ: recrudescence
Author Website: AO3

Author's Summary:
It’s not that he trusts Eames completely or anything that ridiculous. It’s just that they’ve worked together before, know each other more than peripherally, and it’s sometimes good to have a familiar face around while Cobb goes even more off the rails and off the grid.

Review:
Now this was lovely and so fluffy and just an all around wonderful read.

Cobb and Arthur are just starting their lives as criminals, but this isn't about that, not really. This is about Arthur and Eames's relationship that unfurls slowly from their first meeting. This is also, almost incidentally, an interesting look at Cobb and Arthur's start, where both of them aren't entirely sure about how to go about things, but Cobb is jumping the gun and not looking back, and Arthur follows behind. Then there's Eames, who somehow just clicks with Arthur, and their relationship is so sweet and kind of aching and then it turns really hot, haha.

I love it. This fic just erupts warm fuzzies from within me. Part of it is that Eames and Arthur don't immediately jump into bed with each other--wait, no, that's not it. They do jump into bed with each other, but all they do is sleep at first. They spend time, over the length of several missions, to build up their relationship (not that they're calling it that). It just makes every time they meet that much more special because it's an unspoken thing with them, something that they almost dare not to air, but it's so full of emotion.

This fic is such a great read if you're in the mood for fluffy, bubbly feelings.

Counting Down to Another Day

Title: The Boy Who Spoke With Ghosts
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: Crossover, Supernatural
Length: Long (21,794)
Warnings: Ghosts, Violence

Author on LJ: avocado_love
Author Website: AO3 | Tumblr

Author's Summary:
No one suspects Arthur. He's too practical, too organized, too sensible to believe in the supernatural.

Based on the kink meme prompt: Arthur's real name is Cole Sear.

Review:
While this is a crossover with the Sixth Sense, you don't really need to know anything about the movie other than the fact that Cole Sear (Arthur's real name in this fic) can see ghosts.

And let me tell you how much I love that concept, that Arthur has these abilities that he has hidden away his entire life. They're a part of him and he doesn't tell anyone anything, except for maybe hinting towards Mal. The ghosts that haunt him are always present and they usually aren't too troublesome, but they never leave him alone.

This fic takes place a little bit before Inception and a little bit after Inception, seamlessly sliding into place neatly with the movie--like all of this extra business was really happening all along. I really enjoyed the way the author neatly wove the story and the movie together, it was very smoothly done. The relationship Arthur has with Eames is an interesting one; it's not a romance, really, but there's hints of something more. If you're looking for full on romance then this isn't that sort of fic, I would say it's closer to gen than anything else. But it is good, and Eames and Arthur's relationship with one another does take a prominent place in the story.

This is just a really solid piece. Arthur and the rest of them get caught up in some trouble that pings on Eames's suspicions. Said trouble turns even more troublesome and when you couple ghosts and dream sharing... well. It makes for an interesting story, to say the least!

The Boy Who Spoke With Ghosts

Title: we were once cinema gods in the night
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: AU
Length: Long (21,304)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: gyzym
Author Website: AO3 | Tumblr

Author's Summary:
That's the thing about Hollywood--everyone has a Hollywood story.

Review:
Looove this. There is little I like more than a well written AU, and this is definitely that. Arthur is a producer because of course he can get chaos to be somewhat orderly and Dom is this crazy director with a black mark the size of everest and Eames is this magnificent actor. It fits. It all fits and it's seamless, the placing of characters from Inception into this Hollywood story that the author has created. Granted, I have no idea how anything works in Hollywood, and the author is upfront with that as well, so probably inaccuracies abound, but who cares. It's believable enough for me, haha.

Events in the fic mirrors Inception universe rather well. Mal's still dead and Dom still has a black mark on him, while Arthur is still stubbornly loyal. You place Eames in the role of an actor because, you know, forger, and you still have Saito as their financier. It's amazing how well everything is mirrored in this AU, down to Yusuf being some sort of genius with cameras and Ariadne being rather new, but Dom's assistant director.

It flows smoothly from one scene to the next, with each character being so them that half the time you want to shake them and the other half of the time you just want them to make out already. Eames and Arthur's relationship is this give and take sort of thing with both of them being stubborn and kind of stupid in their own way. You can see the way they both care for each other and when they finally get together--well. Finally. But in the best of ways, heh.

This fic also gives you some truly delightful original characters in the form of Arthur and Eames's assistants, who are scarily competent and just really fun to read. All in all, this is a great AU with movie making and actors, but mostly Arthur and Eames just trying to figure out where they're going and how they're going to get there with a lot of misunderstandings, but the eventual happy ending as well.

we were once cinema gods in the night

Title: the little enough damage I do to you
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Saito/Arthur (scenes of OMC/Arthur, brief past Ariadne/Arthur)
Categories: Drama, Romance
Length: Medium (5,712)
Warnings: Uh. Affairs. Dysfunctional relationships.

Author on LJ: two_if_by_sea
Author Website: Tumblr

Author's Summary:
Arthur wants a freedom that comes by way of a straitjacket.

Review:
I really love Eames/Arthur, but sometimes I want a something a little different. Or a lot different. Or completely different, haha.

This fic is kind of three in one because there are two other fics referenced that are kind of connected (and I do suggest reading the music meme fic first even if it's not strictly necessary). It runs off the premise that Saito and Arthur are having an affair, though it's not exactly a covert one (Saito's wife knowing, however, is a different story). The thing about this fic is that it's not in-your-face. It's crazy, but it's full of unspoken things and feelings that don't quite make sense, and in that way it's perfectly lovely. It's just kind of dysfunctional as well (and I adore it).

Their relationship is far from perfect. Arthur and Saito both have their issues and Arthur spends a good chunk of the fic away from Saito and with someone else. Sometimes the fic can get so understated that it's a bit difficult to parse exactly what is going on, but that feels like part of the fic's charm as well.

I wouldn't quite classify it as a romance, but there's not much else to classify it as. It's just really good and beautifully written.

the little enough damage I do to you

Title: Show Me the Way Home
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Angst, First-Time
Length: Long (18,887)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: laceymcbain
Author Website: AO3

Author's Summary:
“Let me guess,” Eames says, no longer surprised when Arthur appears unannounced at his door. “You couldn't bear to stay away from my sofa for one more day.”

In which Arthur develops a relationship with Eames' sofa and eventually with Eames himself.

Review:
Arthur being Arthur is rather resistant to the thought of being comforted, haha.

You have Arthur stumbling on Eames's place and camping out on his couch whenever he gets hurt. Which is alarmingly rather often. You have steady progression of Arthur slowly showing Eames more instead of just falling down on his couch and it's all rather lovely. Arthur isn't good at being taken care of though, and Eames has a bit of an uphill fight on his hands.

The fic takes place mostly pre-Inception (epilogue is post-Inception) and there's a believable progression of Arthur and Eames's relationship. There's angst and hurt and them beautifully making up and it's gorgeous. There's also fake marriage! Which, uh, is a trope I love and laugh at, but it's a very small part of the story and not a focus at all.

It all comes to a head about the same time Mal dies, and oh, those stupid men and their stupid decisions. The events that happen during that time is like a wallop to the face and you just want to shake the two and tell them to get their act together already. But the resolution fits and is quite perfect and segues quite nicely with the movie itself.

Show Me the Way Home

Title: the rebel french
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: Romance, AU, Hurt/Comfort, Angst
Length: Long (33,812)
Warnings: Mentions of suicide, Violence

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: AO3

Author's Summary:
Arthur barely registers the bullet through his knee. It's the second bullet that does it: hits him square in the chest, takes him clean off his feet.

Review:
I really, really love well written AUs.

The author's summary just touches at the start of the fic. It's basically this huge, gorgeous, lush piece that starts off with Arthur getting shot. But that gunshot was the thing to propel him into the life you see him start to lead, a life in Paris, and working for Saito as his head of security. It has him meeting Eames, and their romance is wonderful. It's this beautiful thing that somehow feels fragile at the same time--because it's so lovely you feel balanced on the edge of a knife, like it's too good to be true. It works, even when it makes your heart turn over.

It's not all sunshine and puppies. Arthur spends a good chunk of his time trying to keep Saito's priceless paintings secure and, well, he got shot in the beginning of the fic. Then there's Eames's roommate, Robert Fischer, who spends most of his time being an ass while prancing around being gorgeous. And mean. But it's not really a jealousy fic! There is a little, but it's really not a focus.

The fic is written mostly as a lot of rather short segments. You don't even notice each scene breakaway--it flows and connects very well. It very much is a romance fic, but there is a plot running around that ties things a bit tighter, makes everything just that bit better. Then there's that twist in the end that--well, spoilers. It's awesome, to say the least, but it's also a bit heart wrenching.

the rebel french

Title: Spin!
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: AU, Humor
Length: Long (20,167)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: weatherfront
Author Website: AO3 | Tumblr

Author's Summary:
Political crisis managers AU. Arthur and Eames are operatives for rival presidential campaigns in a heated Democratic primary. Can they find love and happiness in spite of all the pies, Republicans, and publicity disasters in their way? Even in the face of the dreaded ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM? I DON'T KNOW! LET'S FIND OUT!

Review:
Looooved this. Arthur is Dom's political campaign manager for president. Eames is Mal's. All of them end up going on a unity tour together. Shenanigans ensue!

But yes. The fic is a bit silly, but in that utterly readable way that makes you grin and keep on going without thinking it's too ridiculous (because there is a fine line! Or a thick line! Something! But this fic didn't cross said line). It's not really a story with huge depth that'll make you question existence, but if you want to smile a lot and feel generally happy when reading? This is a great fic for that.

Arthur and Eames have a slightly contentious relationship that's basically made of witty banter and Arthur being partly exasperated and partly despairing. It's just so charming and fun. The romance sort of creeps up on you, but it fits.

There are ups and downs to the campaign trail, but you never doubt that everything will end up well. This was just a great read all the way. It grows into more than a little silly fic to a really solid one that is just great to read.

Spin!

Title: this just might hurt a little
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur (mentions of past OC/Arthur)
Categories: Dom/Sub, BDSM, Jealousy, Romance
Length: Long (24,056)
Warnings: BDSM (light), Also references to past abusive relationship

Author on LJ: guns_and_butter
Author Website: AO3

Author's Summary:
You'll never know what you're missing till you try.

Review:
This is definitely one of those stories where my thing may not be your thing, but dear me, I do love this. It's basically Eames and Arthur on a job and Eames seething about some random guy who has had his hands all over Arthur before said job and yet not taking care of Arthur. Sooo, yes, BDSM, but light. Nothing too extreme, but Arthur submits so beautifully and Eames is just so caring and hrngggggg. Did I mention that I love this yet?

Arthur is still Arthur when he's on the job. But there's these little flashes of something else that has Eames kind of yearning (he does yearning so well too, haha) and Arthur is inscrutable while daring Eames to come closer a little bit at a time. I basically want to draw heart pictures all over this fic.

But yes. Warning for mentions of Arthur's past 'relationship', where he basically just went to this ass of a guy who beat him up. You never actually see or meet the guy, but he is mentioned a bit. Arthur's not broken up about it or anything though, if that helps. And then Eames shows him what he's missing, which is even better (I just barely restrained myself from typing out a dozen smiley faces, oh jeez). Uh, also warning for the BSDM, which, yeah. Your mileage may vary. Also, my kink my not be your kink, haha.

(Also the culmination of all that sexual tension and everything is just awesome. Yes. And then it kind of goes into fluff territory at the end and I basically just sort of cuddled right up next to the fic and basked)

this just might hurt a little