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With a few sputtering coughs, their engine died. Eames tried it a couple times just to make sure there were no tiny droplets of petrol hiding in it somewhere. Once he was sure, he dropped the choke and leaned back. Now they were stuck here. In the middle of the ocean. But, he thought to himself, looking at the company he shared, there are worse fates.
Arthur stood in the middle of the lifeboat. He waved the tattered remains of his suit jacket at the vessel fast approaching. M, no doubt. And perhaps Yusuf and Ariadne too. Surely they had captured Saito’s escape pod by now. If not, judging by the rest of the man’s expensive tastes, it wouldn’t be hard to find. Eames grabbed Arthur’s arm and gently pulled him down to his level.
“Eames! What-“
“Now, now,” Eames tutted teasingly, “this is no time to be rescued!” And then he kissed him, held him close with a hand cradling his neck. Kissed him like his life depended on it. Arthur only offered the briefest of muffled protests before he sunk into the kiss as well, pouring into it the passion he’d been building up on the mission. While they’d been running for their lives. After a moment (or an hour, Eames wasn’t sure), they parted.
“Been saving that one for me?” Arthur asked, breathless. Eames smirked. An expression Arthur usually found insufferable, but today was oddly endearing.
“For you, always.” He touched Arthur’s cheek, at the blood drying there, bright and ugly on pale skin. “Does it still hurt?” He asked.
The other man shook his head. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” He made a point of pushing Eames’ hand away. “Quit poking at it.” Before Eames could withdraw completely, Arthur repositioned himself. He sank down to the floor of the boat, pulling Eames atop him.
“Why, Q, how very forward of you,” Eames murmured.
Arthur tangled a hand in his hair, pulling gently. “Arthur,” he said.
Eames mouthed hungrily at his neck. “Mmm, Arthur,” he growled, repeating the name over and over, like a benediction. “Arthur… Arthur… Arthur…”
His hips stuttered forward, bumping their still clothed groins together. Arthur moaned at the contact. He slipped a hand under Eames’ shirt.
Someone cleared their throat nearby. There was an awkward cough.
The two men parted slowly, minds already clouding over into the pleasure of intimacy. They turned to see Yusuf, Ariadne, and a very flustered looking M. Along with a half dozen other agents of Her Majesty’s government.
“Er,” was the only thing Eames could think to say. Arthur, seemingly even more speechless than he, buried his face in Eames’ neck.
“Agent Eames,” Dom began, jaw tight, “What, exactly, do you think you’re doing?”
Eames looked down where his hand sat halfway into Arthur’s pants. “I’d have thought it was obvious.” He smirked cheekily as Dom’s brow furrowed even harder.
Arthur raised his head a bit, cheeks pink, with a strange gleam in his eye. Eames might have even thought to call it naughty.
“Could you guys come back later? I need at least an hour alone with my man.” He kissed at the love bite he’d left on Eames’ neck. Licked gently at it. “We’ve been through a lot today, after all.”
Ariadne frowned. Almost pouted even. “If you hadn't been so set on catching Saito's escape pod, that could have been us, Yusuf.” She linked their arms.
Yusuf started stammering, “Um. But. That is. The mission an’ all-“
She silenced him with an affectionate kiss on the cheek. He blushed furiously, and reached to take her hand.
Don's face started to turn red. A vein in his neck throbbed, loud and angry. “Eames! Arthur! You-“ the rest of his diatribe was suddenly muffled. With practiced ease, Eames divested Arthur of his rumpled dress shirt, and threw it over his shoulder. It landed on Cobb’s face; He started making strangled cursing noises, the likes of which even Ariadne had never heard from him before. The two men in the boat paid him no mind. They were too wrapped up in each other.
Yusuf grabbed Cobb’s left arm, while Ariadne took hold of the right. “We’ll, uh, just leave you two to it for now,” he said. He coughed again, more than slightly embarrassed.
Ariadne snorted. “Be back in an hour.” She rethought. “Maybe a couple hours. Have fun.”
They pulled M back with them. He was still raging. Something about a disgrace to Her Majesty’s special forces, rue the day, loo scrubbing duty for the rest of your professional lives, blah blah blah. Eames couldn’t have cared less if he tried. He pulled Arthur close, impossibly close, their foreheads touching.
“Arthur, I-“
Arthur put a hand to his lips.
“Shh. I know, Charlie. I know.” He laid back. “Now if you please..”
Eames grinned. “Oh you know I do, darling.” He lowered himself onto the other man, meeting his lips once again.
And they stayed in their little lifeboat for a long time after that, pointedly ignoring the boat full of their fellow MI6 agents hovering just nearby. And, for their part, those fellow agents, pride of the British government, did their best to pointedly ignore the sight of their two most sought after, decorated coworkers making love in a dingy inflatable raft down below the forward deck.