Title: we are the dreamers of dreams

Fandom: Inception/Supernatural

Disclaimer: not my characters

Warnings: future!fic for film; vague spoilers for SN

Pairings: pre-Arthur/Eames

Rating: PG

Wordcount: 470

Point of view: third

Prompt: Inception, Arthur/Eames, Eames is an actual shapeshifter

There's a reason Eames is the best forger that dreamsharing has ever seen.

Most of his kind stick to the shadows, work alone, and try to avoid notice. Eames found, though, that trying to stay hidden means more people will discover what one doesn't want discovered, so he's making a name for himself and the only secrets that will be outed are the secrets he wants outed.

And maybe a few of his own, those sad and sorry creatures, will be angry, but not a single one of them will have the courage to endanger themselves just to get to him.

o0o

Arthur is the most dangerous thing Eames has ever seen.

Arthur isn't like him; he's something else, something more, and Eames is fascinated because he can tell Arthur doesn't know.

The first time Eames goes into Arthur's dreams, it is a ghost town and Eames can find nothing. He asks Cobb, in a roundabout way, and learns that Arthur's mind only ever shows what he wants it to show.

Well, Eames can relate to that.

o0o

After the Fischer job, they all go their separate ways. Eames is fine with that; he's on to the next great adventure.

He has a dream one night, not long after, of Arthur laughing on a bridge before throwing himself off. In the dream, Eames followed and he woke after he hit the water, when he was scrambling for Arthur's hand to pull him to the surface.

o0o

"Mr. Eames," Arthur says, a week after that nightmare, appearing suddenly in the chair across from Eames.

Eames knows he's awake, the same way he's always known.

"Yes, Arthur?" he asks, flicking a poker chip from one finger to the next.

Arthur hesitates a moment. Eames waits, allows Arthur to study his face, to take a slow breath, to gather his words.

"There's a man," Arthur begins. "In my dreams, whether I'm using the PASIV or not." Another hesitation, but Eames stays silent. "He has yellow eyes."

Eames hasn't kept up with the news from his kind, but he knows who Arthur means and he sucks in a sharp breath.

And Arthur is not a fool. He'd have done some research, found out about that business in America, and he'd only come to Eames for one reason.

"He's dead, Arthur, to the best of my knowledge."

Arthur nods. "I did discover that, but it doesn't change the fact that he's in my dreams and telling me things I'd really rather have not known."

Eames looks at him for a long moment, and Arthur looks back.

"To America, then?" Eames asks.

Arthur nods again.

o0o

Eames wonders sometimes what might have been, if that stupid yellow-eyed fucker hadn't been so wrapped up in that Winchester kid.

He figures they're all better off that he didn't focus on Arthur as his champion.