life among islands, by wldnst (PG)

[bookshop.livejournal.com]

Fandom: INCEPTION
Title: life among islands
Pairing: Arthur/Eames & Yusuf/Ariadne
Length: 22,000
Author on LJ: wldnst
Author Website: masterlist of fics on author's LJ
Why this must be read: it's an AU based on The Holiday! This is a rom-com premise that can be a little uneven, but in wldnst's hands, it's lovely and even profound. I love wldnst's Arthur/Eames fics, and you should read them all! But her Ariadne/Yusuf is so completely endearing that it steals my heart every time. I love the settings in this fic, how Hawaii and NYC feel like the other romantic leads, and the inevitable collision of Arthur and Eames when they meet by chance; but it's really Ariadne in this fic, and her simmering relationship with Yusuf, that really does me in completely. Ariadne is so alive and her grief and love are so real and memorable. Wldnst writes her POV beautifully and lovingly, and she will steal your heart as completely as Yusuf steals hers. And the emotional tie to islands in this fic is real and tangible, something that's stayed with me for a long time.

They’re both leaning on either side of the smooth granite island at the center of Arthur’s kitchen, and Ariadne studies the careful way Yusuf extracts his spoon from the ice cream it fell into, examining it and then licking it from top to tip.

“If Arthur thinks I was gossiping about him--”

“Gossiping about Arthur was not actually in the contract,” Ariadne says, swirling her spoon in the air. “Now let’s gossip about you.”

“I don’t think--” Yusuf says.

“I’ll start,” Ariadne interjects. “I hear there’s this guy named Yusuf who sleeps outside apartment buildings trying to get an unsuspecting resident to take him in. You know anything about that?”

“I think,” Yusuf says slowly. “That he’s been been backpacking around the states in an effort to kill time before his postdoc starts and was hoping to stay with an old friend, only to be unexpectedly preyed on by a small, nosy person.”

“Who gave him beer,” Ariadne says, opening another bottle. “And ice cream.”

“Well spotted,” he replies. “Anyway, that’s what I hear. But do you know anything about the small, nosy person?”

“Ariadne,” Ariadne provides, unsure, now, whether she ever gave her name. “I think she’s from Hawaii, or maybe fucking Guam. But she’s vacationing from islands.”

“On an island.”

“With bridges,” Ariadne says. “The bridges are important. I can tell you aren’t from an island, because you say this.”

“I grew up in London,” Yusuf says. “U.K.’s a few islands, isn’t it?”

“No,” Ariadne says decisively. “I’ve heard all about your European islands. They’re bullshit.”

“Right,” Yusuf says, raising his eyebrows. “Another beer?”

“Sorry,” Ariadne says, and passes a bottle to him. “Arthur’s a terrible host.”

“Arthur would have made me a martini or a gin and tonic by now.”

“What, does he think he’s James Bond? That’s all the food he has in this place.”

“He can’t cook,” Yusuf says. “Mostly eats takeaways. But I thought we were going to stop talking about Arthur?”

“We were,” Ariadne says. “But somehow the conversation circled back to him.”

“We should be more careful,” Yusuf says. His eyes are hooded, but there’s a hint of a grin about the corners. He’s not bad looking, Ariadne decides; probably good looking, but she’s slow to notice these things in people she’s actually interacting with. The first time someone told her Eames was hot she had blinked at them very rapidly and then tilted her head back towards Eames, jagging her thumb in his direction in a gesture that was clearly meant to ask, “Him?”

Yusuf though. Ariadne likes his hair--it looks thick, like she could thread her fingers through it and pull.

life among islands

Comments

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

That was a great read. I really loved the snappy dialogue and her characterizations.

[bookshop.livejournal.com]

yay! i'm so happy you enjoyed it--you should definitely read all of wldnst's inception fics if you can, because they're all snappy and lovely and warm. :)