Secretly a Reef Rat by templemarker (NC-17)

[laceymcbain.livejournal.com]

The 15th of the month is typically Crossover Day on crack_van, so for today and the next few days, expect a sampling of crossovers featuring Inception.

Fandom: INCEPTION / HAWAII FIVE-0 (2010)
Pairing: Arthur/Eames, Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams
Length: ~ 27,000 words
Author on LJ: templemarker
Author Website: Templemarker's Fiction Archive
Why this must be read: Because Arthur's from Hawaii ... which comes as a tremendous surprise to Eames. When Arthur gets a call to come home because his older brother Steve's been hurt (and is resisting staying in the hospital - how typical!), Eames offers to tag along and in doing so learns a great deal about Arthur and Arthur's terrifyingly competent (and somewhat messed-up) family.

What I really like about this story is that we're shown two very different versions of Arthur: the one Eames knows in the film, and the one who's at home in Hawaii with a surfboard and wet curls and a family in law enforcement. Steve in this story is every bit the over-protective, suspicious, one-man-army (Navy!) he is in H50, and Danny's the wise-cracking voice of "stop interrogating Arthur's boyfriend!" It's by turns funny and heart-tugging, and it gives a lovely window into not only Steve and Danny's banter-driven relationship, but also that Arthur and Eames are both heavily invested in their own relationship, even if they've never articulated the fact.

This take on Arthur and his family makes sense to me given the Hawaii 5-0 back story: mother killed in an "accident", father obsessed with a case and murdered by a criminal, the siblings sent away to become under- or over-achievers who don't play by the book, and yet can't quite escape the need to be part of something, a family.

There are spot-on appearances by Kono, Chin, Grace, and a fantastic Mary McGarrett, and I think the character dialogue is terrific, especially Danny. His rants are priceless and the way he "manages" Steve is much like the show. Plus getting to see Arthur in a setting so far removed from Inception allows both Eames and the reader to get to know the character in a whole new, and completely believable, way.

This should appeal to fans of either the film or the new television series and I think the writer's provided sufficient background to fill in the blanks if you're only familiar with one of the sources. Aloha!


"You must be Eames," Steve said from the bed, eyes visibly narrowing even from several feet of distance. "Lemme ask you a question--Arthur says he's in 'information distribution.' On a scale of one to bullshit, how thoroughly should I investigate your background to figure out just what the fuck you're doing with my baby brother?"

"Steve!" Arthur hissed, dropping Steve's hand on the bed.

"Right--well--" Eames started, not entirely sure whether to head in the entirely opposite direction or commend Arthur for discovering such a elegantly neutral phrase for their particular brand of espionage.

"Okay," said a thundering voice from the gentleman on the left side of the bed, "let's just get this one straight right the fuck-all now. There will be no interrogating of boyfriends while in the hospital bed. There will be no threats of violence from the hospital bed. There will be no, and I repeat, no, stressful proclamations of any fucking kind from the hospital bed. So take a knee right now, McGarrett, before I tell Dr. Kealoha how that vein in your forehead is trying to form its own zip code."

"Danny," Steve protested, but a hand landed squarely in the center of his chest and pinned him gently to the bed.

"Nada," Danny said threateningly, and Arthur crossed his arms and stuck out his fucking tongue at his older brother. "Let's try this again," Danny continued. "How about a 'Hi, I'm Steve, Arthur's nosy overprotective brother, you must be the mysterious long-term boyfriend he uses to avoid coming home for Thanksgiving!'"

Steve and Arthur raised the same eyebrow, at the same time, at Danny.

"Now that's just eerie," Danny said.

"You have no idea," Eames said fervently. "Also, Arthur, how is you've never deigned to inform me that I'm your stock familial excuse?"

Arthur faltered for a moment, but rallied as he ran a hand through his hair. "You've stuck around the longest," he hedged. "And you're the only one I've mentioned more than once. Some people," he said, glaring at Steve, "infer too much."

"Oh, I think I've inferred exactly the right amount," Steve said, eyes squinting in some oddly McGarrett way in Arthur's general direction.

"I agree with your brother," Eames said before checking his own mouth, earning Arthur's full-on glare swinging in his direction.

"Ooo-kay," Danny said, waving his hands around in such a fashion as everyone was forced to turn towards him--if only to avoid being smacked in the face. "Not that this isn't a touching family reunion, but Arthur, how about we give you a minute to catch up with your brother. Eames, No-First-Name-I-Bet-You-Have-An-Interpol-Record, let's go get some coffee."

Torn a moment between staying near Arthur and rather wanting to escape the situation, Eames agreed only after Arthur had waved a hand at him in a dismissive manner and turned back towards his brother. Danny clapped a hand on his shoulder and led him from the room. "Now, as a courtesy I'm not going to try and fingerprint you in the cafeteria, but I gotta say, Steve will probably hunt you down if you hurt Arthur, and he's already got a couple of manhunts on his plate. So let's make nice for ten minutes, and then you and the prodigal brother can get on your merry, possibly criminal way, sound good?"

Eames nodded. It seemed the thing to do.

On LJ: Secretly a Reef Rat MasterPost - also available for download as a PDF

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