Satan Take The Wheel / Fall Like Lightning Down From Heaven by blue_fish (NC-17)

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Title: Satan Take The Wheel / Fall Like Lightning Down From Heaven
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Length: 25,382
Author: Blue Fish
Author Website: author's works on AO3
Why this must be read: One of the things Inception fandom frequently does is explore the effects of forging on Eames' personality--the psychology of having to literally become someone else, and the aftermath of having to hold a forge for a long time. This fic is a fill for the kink meme prompt, "Eames forges Satan." It's a complex look at Eames having trouble slipping out of a forge that takes over him completely, and even more than that, it's 25,000 fucking words of Arthur and Eames slipping inadvertently into a negotiated d/s relationship and discovering so much more about themselves in the process than either one of them ever imagined. It's hot and thorough and believable and in-character and knowledgeable and there's even a violet wand, and tons of Milton quoting that doesn't even seem out-of-place or cheesy given the subject matter.

The fic is divided into two parts from their different POVs--the first part deals more with the accidental roleplay as a result of Eames being unable to shake the forge, and the second part is a more self-aware experimentation; both parts are in-character and mesmerising.

Truth never comes into the world but like a bastard, he thinks, and, fuck, this nonsense has got him quoting Milton, of all things. He feels like the world's most pretentious douche, even to himself. He blames his fixation on Eames's research.

'You could forge God instead,' Arthur had suggested to Eames the night before, as he brushed his teeth in the bathroom. Eames was on the bed, flipping through a book of religious art and texts. 'Wouldn't that be even scarier?'

Eames had answered, 'God wouldn't be able to lead him into temptation. Oh, look here: Spirits when they please can either sex assume, or both. Seems that they're forgers themselves, yeah?'

So now Arthur glances at Eames's face in the semi-dark, smoothed out in sleep, and wonders what sort of "temptation" is going on down there. An outside lamp filtered in through stained glass provides the only light and paints the room in shards of color, and Arthur finds himself staring.

Eames doesn't have to forge beauty. Who could not see that? He doesn't think he's being a sap or anything. Yes, it had been embarrassing to blurt that out, but it's only the truth, like saying that Hawai'i is lush, the rainforest is damp, Miami is hot.

Lush, damp and hot, his mind supplies. He might not be a psychologist, but he's no stranger to the workings of the mind, and he rolls his eyes at himself. Eames makes him say and think ridiculous things, and that's probably dangerous. Eames is dangerous. There's no way this can last forever.

Satan Take The Wheel / Fall Like Lightning Down From Heaven

Comments

[trixieleitz]

Ooh, I hadn't seen the sequel! Thanks for the pointer :)