Inception 1. You Give Me Fever

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters will be finding themselves in. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's just the way it's gotta be.

You Give Me Fever

Arthur was in a piss poor mood and he knew it was only going to get worse when Dom arrived with Eames. He'd been feeling out of sorts for the last couple days now, likely the dread of knowing Eames was coming getting to him, and yet…and yet that wasn't quite it either. He'd had strange stomach cramps two days ago, and though the pain had stopped his body felt off to him in a way Arthur couldn't put into words. He'd always been very conscious of his health, keeping a close eye on it, so he'd noted the slight increase in temperature, the increase in appetite, and his…sensitivity when it came to his senses. His sense of smell and touch in particular…he didn't know what to make of it.

Part of his current bad temper stemmed from the fact that Arthur was worried Eames would pick up on the changes and bother him about them. Of course Eames also tended to avoid getting too close to him since the other man hated his scent. Or more specifically, the forger despised the products he slathered on himself to disguise his natural scent so that Eames and others like the man wouldn't be able to recognizing him for what he was, Arthur mentally clarified. It was one thing for him to know what Eames was and quite another for the forger to be equally aware. Better that Eames thought they fought like cats and dogs because of their personalities, not because they both contained those animals' genes.

Nearly forty years ago elite British soldiers had been asked to participate in a top secret program whose aim was to genetically enhance them into super soldiers using wolf DNA. The monetary rewards for participating had been enough that there had been a decent amount of volunteers, Eames's then unmarried father among them. The degree of success had varied from man to man, the experiments canceled when it was decided that it wasn't cost efficient given the overall results.

It should have ended there, but a paramilitary fringe group in America had learned of the experiments, gotten ahold of the British scientists' findings, and had used their deep pockets to fund new experiments of a much less humane sort. This time around the only volunteers had been the women who agreed to be impregnated with genetically altered, fertilized eggs. The children that had survived and were considered viable had been raised to be soldiers and assassins, saved from that end by those who'd been involved with the original experiments. When they'd learned of the children they'd forced the American government to move in and retrieve the children, though many had been old enough by that point to escape their newest captors and go into hiding.

He didn't fear Eames would turn him in…no, he just didn't want the man to look at him with pity or worse…start making cat jokes and comments every time they crossed paths.

What was that smell?

Wanting to purr as the mouth-wateringly scent reached his nose, Arthur sat up straight and glanced in Ariadne's direction, making sure she was still lost in her dream blueprints before turning in his seat so that he could concentrate fully on analyzing the layers to the scent that ruffled his nonexistent fur in the most sensual of ways. He smelled Eames, who admittedly always smelled sexy to him, but this was more, so much more. This was 'I want to get naked and roll around in this scent for the next century' sexy.

Getting to his feet, determined to find the cause, Arthur wondered to himself if what he was smelling was the chemist Eames had apparently recommended for the coming job. He didn't believe in mixing business with pleasure, but dear God if the man was as good looking as he smelled he might just make an-Oh shit no!

)

Equally broadsided Eames didn't know what the hell to make of the change in Arthur's scent. Not that he'd ever known what the blasted point man natural scent was as he'd never been able to catch the man when his body wasn't coated in hair and skin products. Naturally it had always driven him nuts, especially since his highly sensitive nose had ever so often told him that Arthur just might smell really good under all that crap, and now…oh bloody hell now he was getting some idea of what he'd been missing big time.

The man's smell was still coated with product, naturally, but he could detect a richly sexual and lush scent under it that beckoned him, wrapping around him like a lover's embrace. There was nothing he wanted more in that moment than to bury his face in the other man's neck and just breath in like a former chain smoker presented with a cloud of nicotine laced smoke.

What the hell?!

"Arthur? Are you all right?"

As Eames watched the man in question nodded, though he was keenly aware that Arthur was staring at him and not greeting them, which the man's obsession with manners would usually demand. If he didn't know better he'd say that Arthur had been hit by the same bolt of unexpected lust that he had.

"Welcome back, Mr. Cobb." A girl Eames didn't know but assumed was the architect for this latest job said as she came to stand beside Arthur. And though Eames couldn't begin to phantom why he would feel this way…he wanted to push her away from the point man and make his claim known, demand that she never stand so close to HIS Arthur again. Ever. Under penalty of extreme maiming. She was a girl so he couldn't kill her unless further provoked.

Eames's human side warred with the animal, who'd suddenly decided that it wanted to possess the cool, annoyingly logical and straight laced point man who'd previously only amused or peeved the wolf inside him.

Thank God the man was winning by the time Cobb had finished introducing Yusuf to Ariadne and was now doing the same for him.

Taking the hand she offered Eames kissed it to give him a few moments more to gain control before he told her how enchanted he was to meet her, smiling over the way she blushed and shyly returned his greeting.

It didn't escape him that Arthur was looking at him with cool dislike now, but that was normal enough and Eames told himself that surely he must have imagined the man's earlier interest.

Now if only he could say the same about his own feelings.

Ridiculously grateful when Yusuf asked for his help bringing in his equipment while Dom and their new employer caught up with Arthur, Eames followed the other man out of the immediate area to where they'd parked the small van they'd rented earlier. Hours stuck on a plane, on top of this new curve he'd been thrown with Arthur's scent, made even a few minutes of moving and purely physical activity a welcome reprieve.

"You know, my friend, I am curious about something."

"And what's that?"

"You have told me much about Cobb's partner Arthur and how much the two of you don't get along and why, but you never mentioned that you two were once lovers."

Nearly dropping the box he was carrying, thank God for his enhanced reflexes, Eames turned his head to give Yusuf a less than amused look. "I have better taste than that, thank you very much. I'm fairly sure he wears his bleeding suits to bed."

Yusuf's expression made it clear he doubted the man's protests. "Perhaps I am wrong…but you look at each other as though you have claim over the other. He did not like you kissing Miss. Ariadne's hand, and you did not like how close he stood to her when we arrived."

He couldn't help it… "He looked jealous to you?"

"He did."

Huh. Well that was…interesting. But nothing, the forger assured himself. Yusuf was wrong on both counts no doubt and this was going to be like every other job he'd ever had with the best point man in the business. He'd be alternating between wanting to strangle the man and push his buttons in no time.

"Maybe he's interested in her, ever think of that?" And as soon as the words were out of his mouth Eames felt a completely unreasonable but terrifyingly strong surge of possessive jealousy swamp over him.

"No, I think my earlier observant was correct. And if you wish me to believe you have no interest…I can perhaps create a little something to turn you a little less green."

Not amused, Eames informed the other man that he could carry his own boxes. He was going back to join the others and show Yusuf and himself that he was just fine being around Arthur and that this strange reaction they were having to each other was an anomaly that would pass within the hour.

)

Two Weeks Later

Eames had decided that there was no God, or if there was said god was female and currently PMSing, taking that fact out indiscriminately on the men she'd created. Or maybe she was targeting him specifically because he wasn't a hundred percent natural thanks to his dad volunteering to be a human test subject. That could be it. But really, that wasn't his fault, and punishing him this way, through slow, nearly unrelenting torture, was just plain mean. At this point he'd almost prefer regular torture; at least then he'd be bound and wouldn't have to worry that he'd jump Arthur in a weak moment, tearing the man's clothes off and taking him right then and there regardless of their surroundings or possible audience.

Arthur's smell was getting stronger and stronger every day and it was driving him insane. He'd thought about asking the man to change whatever products he was using, but that had never gotten him anywhere in the past and the man was constantly in a bad mood these days. Arthur knew about his unique genetics, the man could find out anything if he put his mind to it, but his pleas on behalf of his sensitive nose would likely only encourage the man to use more crap on his sexy body. Argh!

If he could have quit the job he would have-but that wasn't an option. You didn't run out on Hikaru Saito, not if you wanted to live. And even if he'd been able to work something out there it would look like it was the job he was afraid of, not his ability to control his raging hormones. He was not damaging his rep over this.

Dammit…if he hadn't known better he'd think one of them was in heat, for fuck sakes. But they were both males and Arthur was totally human and…and very much aware of him too. And that was one of the other major problems with their present situation. If it had just been him he might have been able to rein himself in easier, but for some reason the god who hated him had decided to suddenly make the point man aware of him sexually too. How interested Arthur was was hard to gauge, the man had a killer poker face, but the man had slipped enough times in the last couple weeks that he'd seen hints that Arthur wouldn't be completely adverse to the idea of being jumped and ravished.

But the annoying prat hadn't made a move.

He'd flirted more than usual, trying to get some hint that if he outright propositioned the man Arthur wouldn't shoot him, but the brunette remained cool and distant-except for the occasional eye fuck when he thought no one was watching.

Personally he was so frustrated that he was taking almost unholy glee out of watching Arthur being knocked out of chairs during Yusuf's testing.

But he just had to last another five days, Eames reminded himself. Just a few days more and then he would be on a plane to the US so that he could study Browning up close and personal for the job. He'd be on the other side of the bloody ocean and he'd damn well find someone while he was there that could scratch this craving he had for the arrogant ass currently sitting on the other side of the room.

Naturally, in the mood he was in, the stupid little voice inside his head just had to point out that he'd gone out the last two nights looking for someone to take back to his hotel room with him and that both times he'd come back alone. He'd gone to clubs, and he'd been hit on plenty, but none of them had appealed, had made his body sit up and take notice.

God hated him seriously.

Scenting Arthur getting closer Eames prayed for strength and turned around in his swivel chair to face the man head on. "Hello, Darling. Come to scold me for something?"

"Come with me."

Eyebrows raising at the point man's tone of voice and the fact that he found the command in it undeniably sexy as hell, Eames got out of his seat but didn't move as he inquired as to just where they were going. It was almost time for them to call it a night after all, Ariadne had already left.

Rather than answer him Arthur just gave him a look that said he was to be obeyed and then the point man turned on his no doubt very overpriced shoe heels and walked off without a backward glance.

Cursing both the man and his stupid curiosity Eames grabbed his jacket and hurried after the cause of all his problems. He was wearing the jacket by the time they'd exited the warehouse and he didn't quite know what to think when he saw that there was a car waiting nearby that apparently belonged to Arthur for the moment as the man walked over to it and unlocked the driver side door. Getting into the passenger side Eames was soon bitch slapped by the fact that this was a very, very bad idea as the doors closed, thus locking him into a small space that was quickly filling up with the other man's orgasm inducing scent.

"Arthur…."

"Just buckle up and stay quiet, please. We'll be there in twenty minutes and then I'll explain."

Since he needed to concentrate on not reacting to the other man Eames figured that was probably for the best, staring out the side window while doing his best to ignore the fact that he had company of the oh so fuckable sort. He would try and figure out where the hell they were going by the direction they took and scenery, the forger decided, wishing he could pinch or plug up his nose as he strove to retain what was left of his sanity.

The warehouse was already on the outskirts of the city they were in, and they kept driving further away from it and the hotel they were staying at. And because his eyes kept going to the clock, counting down the seconds until he could get out of the vehicle, Eames saw with a mixture of amusement and no real surprise that Arthur hadn't been kidding about the time it would take to get to their destination. The real surprise was that they'd just pulled up in front of what looked like a quaint, almost fairy tale cottage in the French countryside.

Staring at the structure Eames jolted when Arthur turned off the engine and opened his door, fresh air diluting the man's scent just enough that he could focus a little more on trying to figure out what the hell was going on. And as he watched, waiting for that explanation to come, the other man undid his seat belt and then got out of the car without a word, retrieving what turned out to be a duffel bag from the backseat.

Undoing his own seatbelt Eames hurried after the point man, noting that Arthur let himself into the front door like he owned the place.

"Arthur, what the hell? What is this place?"

"It's a cottage rich tourists can rent. It's ours for the next three days."

"And we would need a cottage for three days why?"

"Get in and I'll explain."

He was so confused that he did as ordered, finding the inside cosy and welcoming when Arthur switched on the lights. Hanging up his coat when Arthur did Eames wandered further into the one story structure before turning around, his arms folded in front of him.

Arthur met his gaze and threw the bag at Eames's chest, the man catching it automatically.

"The bedroom is through there, that's the bathroom beside it." Arthur pointed to each door in turn. "There's enough clothes for both of us in there, but they shouldn't be necessary. We have a problem, and we need to take care of it before we both end up dodging Saito's men and their bullets."

"Not following you here, Darling."

"You can't concentrate on your work because you're too busy eye fucking me in between amusing yourself at my expense. I can't concentrate because of that and because you're having the same effect on me that I seem to be having on you. So we're here for the next three days to work it out of our systems so that you leave here with your head on straight and I can get back to my work without feeling like you're going to push me over my desk and fuck my ass like I'm a bitch in heat."

Okay…he had no idea what he was supposed to say to that. Not that his brain was up to doing much more than imagining, for the billionth time, how fucking amazing it would be to use Arthur's desk in precisely that manner.

"I'm going to use the shower. If you don't want to stay there's a list of phone numbers on the fridge. Call yourself a cab. Otherwise, you could save me some time by being naked on the king-sized bed waiting for us when I get out. It's up to you."


	2. Into The Night

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's the way it's gotta be according to the lawyers.

Into The Night

Left holding the bag, literally, Eames watched Arthur walk over to the door that apparently led to the bathroom and then the point man was closing said door behind him without so much as a backward glance. What the hell? Was this Arthur's idea of a joke? Could he be serious? Had Arthur actually just told him that they were going to spend the next three DAYS fucking around like rabbits in this fairy tale cottage? And all that despite the fact that they were technically on a job and the point man didn't understand the concept of having fun while you worked?

With his free hand Eames pinched his cheek as hard as he could, confirming that he was indeed awake and this wasn't some dream.

Well fuck.

And then the sound of the shower running drew his attention back towards the bathroom, telling him that odds were Arthur was currently naked in the shower. Naked in the shower with the possible intention of coming out of the bathroom still naked for his viewing pleasure. Licking his lips at the thought Eames lowered his gaze to the bag, opening it to see that it indeed contained clothes that weren't his, but were in his sizes. None for Arthur though, and curiosity and a desire to see the point man naked led Eames to the bedroom door, letting himself in to survey the room.

The bed was indeed king sized, the sheets already turned back and waiting for them. He could smell Arthur's scent around the room so obviously this wasn't the man's first time visiting it. As he expected Arthur's clothes for the stay were already hung up in the closet, Eames stowing the bag in there with them.

That task taken care of he headed over to get a closer look at the bed, noting with pleasure the large container of lube waiting for them on the bedside table. He did so appreciate Arthur's habit of thinking ahead at times like-there weren't any condoms.

Frowning Eames opened the bedside table's single drawer and found nothing. Huh. Not that he could have used one of course, but he hadn't expected Arthur to know that. It was a little disconcerting really, that Arthur had so thoroughly researched him that the point man knew that because of knotting it was pointless for him to even try to wear a condom. Naturally he always pulled out even though he couldn't get or pass on sexually transmitted diseases, because it made his lovers more comfortable and the being stuck inside someone for twenty minutes didn't really appeal to him.

Of course real wolves had it harder, no pun intended.

Chuckling at the thought Eames turned his gaze back to the bed, asking himself if they were being completely crazy here. Normally he thought nothing of mixing business with pleasure, but this was Arthur he was thinking about. If this thing blew up in their faces the other man would make him pay for years, possibly even a decade to come. Arthur was the type to hold a grudge with extreme, coldblooded prejudice.

He was still pondering the dilemma minutes later when he heard the bathroom door opening and closing, his nose catching hints of the scent that would enslave him before the bedroom door opened and in stepped Arthur, clad only in a towel around his waist and without a hint of product to hide his true scent.

Eames didn't think, he just moved.

Slamming Arthur back against the wall adjacent to the door Eames snarled possessively and then took what was his, ravishing the other man's mouth with a single-mindness that had Arthur doing the same with equal passion as he wrapped his arms around the forger's neck. They were aware of each other on the most primitive of levels and mating, claiming, were all they could think of as they did precisely that with their mouths, tongues and teeth.

Yanking the towel off Arthur's hips Eames let it fall to the ground and then used his superior strength to lift the other man up so that Arthur's legs were now around his waist so that he could grind their hips together in a fashion guaranteed to fry both their brains ASAP.

Making out with all the finesse and desperation of teenagers, the two men exchanged sloppy, wet kisses and were more concerned about reaching the end goal than foreplay as they rubbed their erections against each other's. Foreplay could wait as far as they were concerned, their need far greater than their brain power at the moment. They could do all that other stuff later, mating was what was important now.

With that in mind Eames stumbled over to the bed with the other man in his arms, dropping Arthur down onto the covers so that he could start stripping off his own clothes. At this point he didn't care if he popped a button or two, Eames's gaze moving hungrily over the body Arthur was quite deliberately putting on display. And it was then that the marks that decorated the other man's body sunk in, cutting through the haze of lust and scent as the meaning behind those well healed scars registered. He was the son of a doctor after all, and had had some medical training at her insistence in case he needed to treat himself at some point. The scars that marred all that lightly tanned skin were old, possible two decades old, but that just meant that all these wounds had been received while Arthur was only a boy.

"Eames."

Looking up to meet Arthur's gaze Eames was unaware of the horrified expression he was wearing or how long he'd been staring.

Aware of where Eames's thoughts were now, and not liking the expected interruption one little bit, Arthur shifted forward and decided to take advantage of the fact that Eames had already unhooked his trousers even if they were still in place. Thankfully the forger had opted to go commando that day, so it was simple enough to pull the man's erection out and then holding it firmly in hand began to lap at it like an ice cream cone.

Hips jerking in shock, Eames hands automatically dove into Arthur's hair as his brain tried to process the fact that the man had a tongue like a friggin cat. He'd noted that the point man's tongue had felt a little rough earlier, but on the far more sensitive skin of his shaft he felt like the nerves there were being scrapped raw with every flick of the man's tongue. It was borderline too rough, Arthur seeming to know just how to balance the action so that it was both pain and incredibly pleasurable, making him moan and curse in equal measure as his brain tried to sort the sensation out.

When it became too much, which wasn't long, Eames pushed Arthur back on the bed again, discarding the rest of his clothing and then pouncing on his prey with renewed interest.

Letting Eames take the lead Arthur concentrated on the other man's scent, breathing it in like the drug it was for him while he mentally thanked the powers that be that the licking had apparently driven all thoughts of prolonging things from the other man's head, Eames's hands rough and definitely heading south as they moved over his more than willing body.

Lust clouding his brain enough that the scars didn't register anymore, though he'd explore them thoroughly later, Eames concentrated solely on stroking a possessive hand down the man's back on the way to the point man's ass, pausing when his fingers passed over an unexpected bump just above said ass, Arthur gasping at the touch.

"Birth defect. Sensitive." Arthur informed him breathlessly, obviously knowing that Eames would be too distracted to keep doing what he was doing if he didn't know. "Keep touching me."

Willing to do precisely that Eames couldn't help but circle his finger around the bump one last time, wanting to know if it was a good or bad kind of sensitive. Good sensitive, he concluded when Arthur moaned very loudly this time at the touch. Interesting. He'd have to experiment with it more after he'd taken care of the fact that he was going to die if he didn't get into Arthur's ass ASAP.

Taking the lube from Arthur, the man just as impatient apparently, Eames quickly slicked up his fingers before sliding his hand between the legs Arthur had already spread wide for him. It surprised him how easily his first finger went in, the second as well. Someone had prepared himself earlier, Eames decided, incredibly turned on by the mental images of Arthur opening himself up in the shower for him. It was such an Arthur thing to do, too, wanting to control as many aspects as possible.

Arthur's demand for a third finger broke his concentration, Eames giving into the man's demand quite happily. They had three days, the forger thought as he savored every moan and gasp that slid past Arthur's swollen lips as his fingers pleasured him to the point where the man was pleading for more. He'd take it slow next time, right now was for claiming and taking the edge off. This had been a very, very long time coming as far as he was now concerned.

"You know about the protection thing?" He asked, not wanting to assume. The chances of more sex would greatly diminish if he didn't at least ask before fucking the man bareback.

"I know." Arthur literally growled out. "And if you don't take me now I'm going to change our positions and ride you into the fucking ground."

Liking that mental image quite a bit Eames told Arthur to remember that threat later and then pulled out his fingers, jacking the other man's legs up around his hips before reaching down to guide his erection to where they both wanted it most.

More than ready for him Arthur squirmed and bucked his body to speed Eames's up, not wanting to wait for the man to work his way in. He wanted Eames buried deep inside of him and he wanted it now, Arthur digging his nails into the man's sweaty shoulders and all but purring his demands for Eames to fuck him hard and fast. To take him. To show them both what they'd been missing.

Eames wanted to take things a little slower than that, he didn't want to be rushed now that he finally had Arthur where he wanted him, but the wolf had other ideas, drunk on Arthur's scent, and with a snarl the animal took over with the solitary goal to mate their bodies and stake his claim over Arthur in the most basic of ways. Every powerful, deep thrust conveyed this, his erection always remaining slightly inside the other man's ass so that they were never parted while he fucked the very breath from Arthur's lungs.

And he had no intention of stopping until he'd filled the man's ass with his cum.

)

Knowing in some dim corner of his mind when he was getting perilously close to climaxing, Eames growled and then cursed under his breath, not at all happy to have to leave the tight, wet heat of Arthur's body. But like all of his kind he'd learned early on how to enforce his human will and the fact that he couldn't, under any circumstances, knot inside Arthur was something the wolf could understand when the human side reminded it that Arthur wouldn't want to have sex with him again if they were to knot, and both man and wolf wanted sex more than knotting. The drive to claim Arthur that way was scary strong though, Eames having to bite down on his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood before he could bring himself to do it.

Starting to pull out Eames's whole body jerked in surprise with it was Arthur's turn to growl and curse, the man's legs suddenly tightening around his waist as Arthur used strength he hadn't known the other man possessed to flip their positions so that Eames found himself flat on his back. And then Arthur was riding him as he'd threatened earlier, moving up and down his erection with hard, mind-blowing thrusts that took him deeper than before. The sensations, combined with the sight of Arthur naked, sweaty, and utterly determined to have him, had Eames forgetting all the reasons to separate them, his orgasm comings a heartbeat later.

His voice triumphant as he called out Eames's name, Arthur kept moving as the other man's erection expanded inside of him, pushing him over the edge too as his body made its approval known with the most explosive climax he's ever had.

Both men are exhausted when they're bodies finally let their minds function well enough to realize that they're tied together, covered in sweat, and have just crossed a line that there will be no going back from should they want to later. Sex like this was not something you could forget.

When he was sure he wouldn't wheeze or stammer Eames informed Arthur that it was his fault they were stuck together, just so that they were clear about that.

With a hint of purr in his voice Arthur stated that yes, he was well aware that their present circumstances was entirely his fault. Eames could give him a blow job later in thanks. He'd always had a thing for Eames's mouth after all, Arthur thought with a smug little smile, rubbing his cheek against Eames's chest since he was feeling very positive where the forger was concerned at the moment.

Okay…so Arthur liked them being stuck together? That was a little weird. He'd never met a man who liked the idea of being literally stuck inside another person. Of course Arthur was anything but ordinary, and he'd seemed to know exactly what was going to- "Have you slept with one of my kind before?" Was that the man's sudden interest in him?

Deliberately tightening his inner muscles around Eames to enjoy the feel of being knotted that much more, Arthur waited until Eames had finished groaning in tired pleasure before informing him that no, he'd never slept with a man who was part wolf. He'd slept with a couple men who had also been genetically altered like himself, but he'd avoided the wolves for the simple reason that they all talked to each other and he didn't want to advertise his existence to that particular community.

"So you just researched our sex habits?" Eames's amusement was plain in his voice, running a hand up and down Arthur's back so that it wouldn't be too obvious he was still very interested in the man's birth defect and how he reacted to having that touched.

Moaning his pleasure Arthur forgot himself enough to inform Eames that he knew about wolf sex because his brother had slept with one. Clamping his mouth shut as soon as the words had left his mouth, Arthur mentally cursed the sensitivity of what remained of the tail he'd been born with. He had not meant to let that slip out-he didn't talk about his twin to anyone.

"I didn't know you have a brother. Older or younger?"

"Older." By about three minutes. "He warned me about the knot thing." When Blake had filled him in he'd thought that someone would have to be nuts to want a wolf inside him when the knot thing happened, but his animal had had other ideas earlier, thank God. Apparently his ass was tougher than he'd though, because it was a little strange but also felt really, really good too.

"So your brother's gay too?"

"A top to my bottom. Two sides of the same coin so to speak." And not wanting to discuss his brother anymore Arthur shifted back up to a sitting position, running his hands over Eames's chest as he inquired as to just how long they'd be tied together for.

Eames knew an attempt to distract when he heard it. "I've never knotted with someone, but on average it's supposed to be between fifteen and twenty minutes for us. Do you have any more siblings, or is it just the two of you?"

Angling the fingers he'd been running over Eames's chest so that his nails were now lightly scratching over the tattooed flesh he intended to trace with his tongue later, Arthur deliberately licked his lips very slowly to gain the forger's complete attention and then informed him that if it only meant a twenty minute wait between rounds he didn't mind if Eames's wanted to continue to knot inside him.

"Between rounds?"

"We didn't come here to sleep, Mr. Eames."

Reading the look in the point man's eyes correctly Eames's swallowed hard. Oh. Oh boy.

)

Breathing out a stunned, shaky breath nearly two days later, Eames stared at the bare back facing him and ignored the temptation to run so much as a finger along the man's spine since he didn't want to wake Arthur up. Because as lowering as it was, and boy was it ever lowering, he just didn't have the stamina to go another round with the man just yet. They'd made time for the usual necessities like eating, sleeping, and even a little work…but he'd had more sex in the last couple days then he usually got in a couple of very good months. The man was a machine. An incredibly sexy and insatiable machine.

Thank God he was going to have at least a week in the States to recover before he came back.

But even as he thought that Eames had to admit that the idea of being away from Arthur now that he had him didn't sit well with him either. He wanted the man with him, to continue to find out more about the man whose walls, for the moment, were quite thoroughly breached. If he left Arthur would have plenty of time to rebuild them and what then?

Then he'd just have to tear them down again, Eames decided as he couldn't help but smile over the fact that Arthur was doing it again. The man had called him a liar when he'd told him, but his ears were working just fine, thank you very much.

Arthur was purring in his sleep. For him.


	3. Waiting For You

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters end up in. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy.

Waiting For You

Staring at his lap top screen Arthur made a sound of disgust and slammed the lid shut, admitting defeat. He was pathetic, the point man told himself, completely unprofessional and totally deserving of the attempted murder Saito would no doubt try when the inception failed and they were all on the crime lord's shit list. Dammit. He had to get ahold of himself, especially since it was going to be at least another five days, maybe longer, before Eames returned from the States.

The sound of his cellphone going off distracted him, Arthur's lips quirking a little in response to it. Blake had picked the ringtone and his brother's sense of humor was twisted enough to use the theme song for the 1990s Spider-Man cartoon.

Grabbing it from his bedside table Arthur accepted the call and then put it to his ear. "Hey."

"Hey back." Came his brother's voice, identical to his own unless you factored in his superior vocabulary and his twin's love of occasionally speaking in foreign accents for fun. "How's the job going? You know I can come get you if you need me to."

"I'm fine and-and shit I slept with Eames." Dammit, he hadn't meant to admit that!

"The dog? Bane's cousin?"

Knowing better than to think he could talk his way out of discussing this Arthur sighed and confirmed that yes, it was that Eames.

Blake's snort of amusement came through loud and clear. "Well, well, you finally gave in, huh? So how was he? Better than his ball-less, bitch whipped bastard of a cousin I hope."

Yup, Blake was definitely still pissed at Eames's cousin, Arthur thought with a small smile of his own, though he could understand where his twin was coming from. He'd gotten an earful as to what had happened the last time his brother had hooked up with the infamous Bane and in his twin's place he would have left Bane naked and tied up in his webbing too. If he had that ability, which alas he did not. While both of them had the DNA of a jaguar, their 'creators' had chosen to add some different animal genes as well for shits and giggles. They'd come to regret that decision quite a bit before their end, Arthur thought with the deepest of hatred.

A change in subject was called for, Arthur told himself, doing precisely that. "The Great Bitch still got an APB out on you?" The technical Alpha of Bane's pack, Talia al Ghul, had not appreciated her up close meeting with Blake's webbing either when he'd made his dislike of her very badly timed interruption known. Last time he'd checked she was offering a lot of money for Blake's head on a platter.

"Probably." Though he wasn't worried. "Now back to the not as sexy as Bane but still sexy Eames. I will not be distracted, Little Brother."

Personally Arthur thought Eames was way hotter than his cousin, but he and his twin had different definitions of that particular word. "We had nearly three days of sex and if he hadn't had to fly to the US I'd be naked with him now instead of talking to you. He figured out the tail thing."

"Ah, our mortal weakness."

"The man is an orgasm waiting to happen, and that's all you're going to get from me."

More chuckling.

"Lucky you and the fact that I don't want to picture you having sex, much less with someone whose face resembles Bane's." Body wise the cousins were in two different leagues, but if you really looked at Bane's face when he wasn't muzzled you'd see that they not only had the same eyes, but nose, mouth and bone structure as well. 'So if you're jonesing for the guy so much why don't you call him? From what you've told me about him I'm guessing he's no stranger to phone sex."

"I'm not calling him for phone sex. It would set a bad precedent, and then he'd think he has the upper hand and become even more insufferable than he already is."

Agreeing that the men in that family were indeed insufferable Blake turned the conversation back to the job his adorable little brother was doing, all the while subtly gleaning all the information he could get on just how much this sex marathon had increased the crush Arthur had always had on Bane's forger cousin.

Quite a bit, he soon realized, which was both a very good and bad thing.

Definitely something he'd need to keep his eye on.

)

Sitting on his bed Eames waited for his call to be put through, reminding himself to stay cool and make it seem like he really was just checking up on the rest of his team and passing along some info to Arthur, needing him to look deeper into some things since the man was better at that sort of thing than him. The fact that it was after eleven over there probably meant he was going to have to keep things short too, but at least he'd be able to hear the man's voice and make sure he was still as front and center in Arthur's thoughts as he could be given the enormity of the job they were currently undertaking.

"Hello? Eames?"

Shivers going up his spine at the incredibly sexy, husky voice, Eames swallowed hard. "Hello, Arthur. Hope I didn't wake you."

"No, I wasn't sleeping." Eames's sensitive ears just caught the man's sigh, which was laced with amusement and something that sounded an awful lot like sexual need. "Your timing is as impeccable as always though."

Abruptly it occurred to the forger that perhaps he'd interrupted something, the predator showing in Eames's eyes as his fingers tightened dangerously around his cell. It was irrational and stupid to jump to that conclusion just because it was late, but he could hear clothing being adjusted and picked up on the small sounds Arthur was making that he remembered very well from their times in bed together. Someone was definitely feeling hot and bothered, and hadn't he learned firsthand that Arthur had become a nymphomaniac since their last job together? The man's sex drive was definitely in overdrive and here he was an ocean away and-

"Eames? Are you still there?"

"Ah, yeah, I am. If you have company I can…call back tomorrow." In the meantime he'd find some way to find out who was sniffing around HIS man and arrange for the bastard to meet an unfortunate end. Then he'd turn his attention to how best to punish Arthur and insure that the-

"I'm alone."

"Really?"

Intrigued by Eames's response Arthur asked him pointblank why he would think otherwise.

"I don't know quite how to answer that question without making you inclined to shoot me outside a dream when next we meet, Darling."

A long pause greeted that response and then Arthur laughed, the sexiness of it making Eames bite down on his bottom lip to keep himself from moaning in appreciation. "You have good ears, Mr. Eames. But no, I wasn't having sex with someone else when you called. I was…taking care of myself in your absence."

Oh.

Not bothering to muffle his groan this time Eames fell backward onto his bed, closing his eyes so that he could focus on the other man's voice better as he apologized for interrupting the man, though his tone made it clear he wasn't sorry at all. The only thing he was sorry about was the fact that he wasn't there to watch the man fuck himself with his own hand. And on that note…

"So you were thinking about me?"

"Maybe. You did give me some excellent material to work with before you left." Arthur added, a definite purr in his voice now, Eames's sensitive ears picking up on the sound of clothing rustling again too. "I was concentrating mainly on our last shower together."

"And who could blame you?" Just the memory had his pants feeling increasingly tight, so that he reached down to undo them even as he put his current mental images into words. "You have no idea how sexy you looked, begging for more while I had you pinned up against the tile, fucking the air out of your lungs while you were helpless to do anything but let me fuck you. You clawed the bloody hell out of my back trying to take me deeper inside you and I didn't give a shit, all I cared about was fucking you, filling you with my cum and knot. Remember how you screamed when I bit you between your neck and shoulder, coming so hard around me that you sent me over the edge and made me collapse against you, squishing you between me and the wall. Not that you cared, right, Luv?"

The sound of Arthur groaning his name wrapped around him like an embrace, the other man's breathing becoming increasingly erratic and heavy as Eames's did the same. Wanting more Eames began to describe what he intended to do to Arthur once he got back to Paris, describing in intimate detail how they were going to share a bath together that would involve him not only washing every inch of Arthur's beautiful body but making full use of the built in jets too. Then he was going to have Arthur stand up in the tub with his hands braced against the wall and he was going to lap up every drop of water that flowed off the man's skin until he was begging for release. Only then would he turn his attention to biting and sucking on that oh so sensitive nub located just above Arthur's ass, which his fingers would be making an intimate exploration of at the same time.

Eames had barely gotten two hypothetical fingers inside Arthur's ass before he could hear the man coming over the line, the sound making him groan as well as he pumped his hand up and down his own shaft as he too sought relief.

Obviously aware of what the forger had been up to while he was talking, Arthur's voice came over the line sounding very satisfied and relaxed, making what he was saying that much more sexy as he assured Eames that once he was done doing all those things to him in the bath he'd make his thanks very apparent. It would be Eames's turn to stand up then, and he'd use his tongue to make his point as he rasped his tongue over to man's erection and balls like they were ice cream cones.

Memories of Arthur doing precisely that while they'd been at the cottage assured that Eames joined Arthur in post climax bliss without much more verbal encouragement, the forger's accent thick and very British as he alternated between telling Arthur what he did to him and just saying the other man's name.

On the other end Arthur waited until Eames's breathing was a bit steadier before he thanked the man for his help and then inquired as to why he'd actually called.

Deliberately Eames drawled out his response rakishly, not wanting Arthur to know just how sappily true his answer was. "I just wanted to hear your voice, Darling."

"I see." Arthur's voice went all proper and Arthur-ish. "I'm glad to hear you're using your time over there wisely."

Eames just chuckled, shifting on the mattress so that his head was on his pillow. Closing his eyes again he focused solely on the sound of Arthur's voice and the familiarity of it. "Oh but you have no idea how much I've missed that tone, Arthur. Though I do have some info for you to look at and into should you not be too busy with other stuff. What have you been up to by the way, other than pining for me of course."

Naturally Arthur launched into a detailed account of everything everyone else was up to so that he could once again voice all the reasons why this job was not going to work, Eames not minding a bit as he just laid back and wound Arthur up for the fun of it.

His point man was so adorable when he was fired up.

)

Five Days Later

Eames was well aware of the fact that he'd been stretching the truth when he'd assured Saito that he'd observed Browning well enough that he could come back to Paris to rejoin the team. In the back of his mind was a voice reminding him of all he stood to lose if this job went south, but he ignored it easily enough since more than money and his life he wanted Arthur. The simple truth was that he couldn't concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing anyway, consumed with the content of his nightly chats with the point man and the promises they'd made regarding his homecoming.

Unfortunately the fact that his plane had been delayed twice, his mum and aunt had called with demands that he call Bane, said phone call with the extremely uncooperative man in question, and having a seatmate who talked like Minnie Mouse had greatly reduced his libido.

But he was almost at the hotel and Arthur had promised to leave a keycard to his room with the front desk, Eames reminded himself. It was, unfortunately, three in the morning, but he was going to wake the point man up anyway after he got ahold of something for his headache and that was that.

Retrieving the card once he arrived at the hotel, Eames headed to his own room first to dump his stuff and take something for the headache too. That done he quickly showered and changed, feeling marginally better and positive that he'd feel even better once he got his hands on Arthur's beautiful ass.

Heading out and down the hall Eames let himself into the other man's room, making his way through the darkness easily, his senses focused on the scent of Arthur that currently permeated the room. It was hidden beneath the products the man insisted on using, but he appreciated the fact that it wasn't as bad as it normally was.

Arriving at the bedroom door he opened it carefully, slipping soundless inside. Closing the door behind him he sensed that Arthur was indeed awake and aware, feeling the man's gaze on him before he turned around. And though very little light was coming through the shaded bedroom windows he could make out the fact that Arthur had a gun in his hand, currently pointed in his direction. "Well that's quite a welcome back, Darling."

"If you weren't welcome I would have actually shot you." Arthur pointed out as he shifted to return the gun to its earlier hiding place before informing Eames that if he wanted a proper welcome home he should get his British arse into the bed so that he could dig his nails into it while the man fucked his brains out.

Smiling wide Eames stripped of the clothes he'd recently donned and then slid under the covers Arthur held up for him. "Hello, Darling."

"Hi back." Cupping the back of Eames's head Arthur pressed close, lifting a bare leg over Eames's thigh as the man's lips settled over his. The kisses were surprisingly gentle and drawn out, Arthur sighing with pleasure when Eames turned his attention to kissing his neck. "I thought you were going to fuck my ass into the mattress as soon as you got back?" He teased primly, not at all sorry that that wasn't the case. But they had been having phone 'conversations' every night since the first and Eames's had made his impatience to have him in reality quite clear.

"As soon as my headache is gone I bloody well will."

"Do you need something for it?"

Eames shook his head before nipping Arthur's shoulder possessively. "I took something. Bane headaches take longer to dissipate than most."

Lifting his hands Arthur gently massaged Eames's temples, hoping to provide a little more relief even as his curiosity got the better of him. This was the first time the man had mentioned Bane in his company before. "You had a fight with your cousin?"

Not at all surprised to know that Arthur knew who Bane was, though he did wonder how much the point man had dug into his family, Eames decided that could wait until later since the sooner they stopped talking about Bane the sooner they could discuss far more pleasurable things, like whether the point man had bought the edible body lotion as he'd asked.

"I didn't have a fight with him, one generally doesn't have verbal fights with Bane. Just physical ones."

"He hurts you?" Arthur snarled the question, his body tensing dangerously at the idea of someone of Bane's size and strength hurting the man who was his.

Taken aback, he'd never heard Arthur snarl before, Eames blinked in surprise. Then he was touched as it occurred to him that he was seeing this whole new side of Arthur because the man was actually feeling protective of him. "No need to get angry on my account, Darling, Bane is always very careful not to hurt me when we spar." Which always bruised his ego for hours afterwards. "I just meant that he doesn't argue with people, he never loses his cool and is more self contained than you are. He even fights that way, which is why I can't beat him."

"What were you trying to fight about?"

"Oh my mum and aunt are convinced that Bane is hung up on some bloke he met eight months ago in Tibet. Mum overheard some of his…friends talking about the guy and told Aunt Grace. Personally I don't think the man knows the first thing about dating someone, and he says they're wrong about there being someone, but who knows with him." Eames shrugged and then rolled them over so that he was on top. "But enough about him, we have a LOT to do before its time to report to the warehouse."

"Show me."


	4. So Into You

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put all my poor victims in.

So Into You

As it was no one's business but their own, and Arthur hated to be gossiped about, the two opted to continue to hide the change in their relationship. Thankfully everyone was too caught up in the complexities of the job and failed to notice the little tells, the first day Eames was backing going pretty smoothly. Eames demonstrated his forging of Browning for Saito, who gave it his seal of approval which was a relief to everyone, particularly Eames. The rest of the day was spent going through the plans and fine tuning things even more, everyone calling it quits early since Eames claimed jetlag, though the real reason for his exhaustion was the fact that he'd spent the morning having sex with Arthur instead of catching up on his sleep.

Once they got back to their hotel Arthur waited until the take out he'd ordered arrived and then taking the food with him headed for Eames's door, using the key card the forger had gotten for him since the man had one to his room.

Eames was waiting with the wine and dessert he'd picked up on the way back, and together they dished out the food before taking a seat in the small dining area.

Sampling the wine Arthur smiled in approval. "Excellent choice."

"Thank you." Toasting Arthur Eames grinned, the two talking about this and that before the forger turned the conversation to something he'd been wondering before the sex had started the night before. "So I've been wondering…just how much do you know about my family, exactly?"

"Have you swept these rooms for bugs since you got in?" Arthur countered, both men having no illusions where Saito was concerned.

"Yup."

"Then I know everything relevant about your family. I don't work with people I don't know inside and out. Or I didn't." This time around he hadn't had a hell of a lot of say in the matter thanks for Dom. And knowing Eames wanted to know the full extent of his knowledge Arthur admitted to knowing the nature of the experiments the man's father and uncle had signed up for, and how the Eames men had been more successful than most in terms of the wolf DNA having a noticeable effect. That he knew about the cancelation of the experiments in Britain and the fact that the DNA from the original volunteers had been stolen and used in the first round of new experiments in America. Eames's father's DNA hadn't resulted in pregnancy but Eames's uncle had, which was how Bane came to be. Bane had come to live with his biological father at the age of thirteen after the American experiments were stopped and his paternity was confirmed.

"Not stopped soon enough." Eames hatred of the people who'd fucked with his family was clear in his voice. His cousin's suffering hadn't ended when he'd been brought home after all. Of the seven different facilities that had been set up throughout the United States to conduct the experiments, only thirty or so children had been classified as super soldiers. The rest had shown skill and abilities that weren't entirely human, but many of them suffered physical defects or were dependant on medications which had left them too flawed to be considered anything other than just soldiers for the cause. Bane had been one of the best, but the scientists at his facility had tried to make him better and had nearly killed him in the process. His cousin now had to wear a mask most of the time which provided him with medication that kept him fully functioning and without the agonizing pain he would otherwise experience.

Every time he saw the mask his cousin had been condemned to don for the rest of his life he wanted to hunt down all the scientists still alive in their prisons and kill them with his bare hands.

And thinking about the monstrous mask had Eames posing another question, which was why it didn't bother Arthur to know what he was. Yes he didn't turn into a wolf or something equally weird, but he wasn't exactly human either.

"Humans are animals too. That children were used that way is living proof of that. I don't consider you any more an animal than I am."

Watching Eames's pleased reaction Arthur felt a little guilty for misleading the forger, but pushed those thoughts aside. Technically speaking he was even more 'animal' than Eames was, and if whatever this thing between them somehow got serious he'd trust the other man with the truth, but for now he'd keep it to himself. It wasn't about him, but the rest of his own 'pack'. It wouldn't do for certain people to know that the 'experiments' from the Gotham compound weren't dead.

"I think Bane would like you, he's really into books and art and stuff like that."

Since he and Blake were identical Arthur was more inclined to think Bane would try to kill him on sight, but Eames didn't need to know that. Not yet anyway. "Perhaps you'll introduce us someday." He did want to meet the man actually, Blake had never gotten so hung up on a guy before and he was cat enough to be curious. The official data only told him so much.

Imagining Arthur surrounded by his large family, both by blood and by pack, Eames's lips twitched in amusement. Both groups tended to be very loud and affectionate, very interested in everything there was to know about you. But he knew Arthur well enough to know that there wasn't a situation the man couldn't handle if it suited him. "So you never did tell me about your family aside from your brother. Turnabout is fair play."

Arthur opted to be truthful, or as truthful as he could be. "I doubt the woman who birthed me knew who my sperm donor was. She didn't stick around. My brother and I have people we grew up with who are honorary family, but he and I are all the other has blood wise."

Eames couldn't imagine that, his family so huge that if something had happened to his parents there would have been multiple adults who would have stepped in to take custody of him and his sisters. They would have been well loved, and they certainly knew their history and who they'd come from. From the sounds of it Arthur either didn't know, or knew but had chosen to forget because only his brother and the kids he must have known in foster care or an orphanage mattered.

Thinking of the very old scars he'd discovered all over Arthur's body while they were having sex, Eames's fingers tightened around the plate he held in one hand. "Were you and your brother able to stay together when you were in the system?" Or had Arthur faced those horrors alone, finding his brother later on.

The smile that crossed Arthur's face was not a nice one. "We made sure they never kept us separated for long. They learned quickly to keep us together if they wanted us to play nice."

"I hope you made their lives hell."

"They don't remember us fondly." Arthur agreed. And not wanting to talk about it anymore the point man shifted the conversation to asking what it was like to grow up in such a large family, both truly interested and eager not to discuss the past.

If they stayed together there would be plenty of time for that later.

)

It was a week later that Eames got a surprising phone call, his shock so great that his jaw actually dropped when he read the number on his screen. Excusing himself automatically Eames moved away as he put the phone to his ear, his words running together as he asked what was wrong, who was hurt, and was him mom and dad, his sisters all okay?

On the other end Bane's voice came through, inquiring as to why Eames thought something was wrong.

"Because you're calling me. You never call me."

Silence, and then Bane acknowledged that yes, this was the first time he'd ever called his cousin. Usually Eames always called him. "Nothing is wrong."

"Okay. So what's up then?"

"If you are busy I can call at another time."

"No, no it's okay. I've got time." Now that he knew that his family was okay Eames's mind turned to all the other reasons why Bane might be calling him, especially since the last phone call he'd had with his cousin hadn't ended so well. Not that Bane had been angry but- "Is this about what we talked about before? Do you need me to get our mums off your back? Because if that's it I tried, Cous, I really did, but they're like pit bulls with a bloody bone."

"I am aware of that. They are unnecessarily concerned with my lack of romantic attachments. They complain about the opposite with you."

Rolling his eyes Eames told Bane that women were never happy. He wasn't the man killer he'd been when he'd been in his twenties and didn't regret that. He thought but didn't say that Arthur wouldn't give him the time of day if he were still that cocky wanker.

"I wish to ask you a question."

Despite the fact that he was older, Eames was pretty sure that he could count the number of serious questions Bane had ever asked him on both hands and that was probably pushing it. His cousin was far better educated than him and Bane didn't like to reveal a lack of knowledge on any subject unless he had to. Though they'd tried to get it through the man's thick skull that they were family and pack, in the end Bane only trusted the pack he'd formed with the wolves he'd grown up with completely. God but he hoped he knew the answer to whatever question Bane had as he asked the man what said query was.

"Do we look alike?"

"Of course we do, we're family." Instinct overcoming surprise at the question, Eames elaborated. "Bane, if you didn't have to wear that mask all the time people would probably mistake us for brothers constantly. It's only your size and lack of hair that would throw people off. Otherwise we look like Eames men. Why?"

Bane was quiet long enough that Eames thought maybe he didn't intend to answer. "Someone said we looked alike. I disagreed."

Reading into Bane's voice was always difficult, the mask muffling and mechanizing it too much, but instinct had him asking who had made the comparison.

More poignant, interesting silence greeted that question.

"He said he knew of you." Bane finally said. "He's a feline spider hybrid. I don't know what compound, he wouldn't say."

That was typical of the hybrids, Eames knew, though he interacted with them even less than his cousin. While Bane's compound had been wolves only, the other six had mixed the DNA of other animals with their subjects, three of them with more than one. The death counts had been highest in those facilities, and those that lived didn't talk about their time in captivity or the ones who'd escaped, ever. "I don't know anyone with that genetic makeup, or at least I think I don't. What's the last name?"

"He wouldn't say that either."

Amused, especially since Bane would have tried to find that information out already and failed, Eames asked for a physical description.

"Five foot ten, approximately a hundred and sixty pounds. Brown and brown. Runner build, scarring typical of our kind. Identifying marks, slightly larger than normal ears, dimples in both cheeks, and a tendency to cover his arms and upper torso with henna tattoos featuring spider webs as a theme. His first name is Blake."

Okay…he and his cousin had disturbingly similar taste in men. Not that Arthur had probably ever had a henna tattoo but the rest-if it weren't for the fact that Arthur was definitely not a feline spider he'd be worried that he and Bane might have been marking the same tree so to speak. He didn't even know Arthur's real last name for God sakes either.

Sensing something was up Bane asked if the description had jolted his memory.

"No-just thinking-did you sleep with this guy? And I have a reason for asking, promise." The reason being that he was curious as to whether Bane was interested in men sexually or not, Eames silently added.

"Yes."

Okay…well that ruled out Arthur's brother, at least, the similarity in description enough that the possibility had entered his mind. Arthur had said that his older brother was a top as opposed to a bottom, and there was no way in hell Bane could be topped by anyone. Bane would probably laugh himself to death at the idea, and he'd never heard his cousin laugh once in all the years they'd known each other. He didn't think anyone ever had.

And yet…and yet hadn't Arthur said that his brother had had sex with a wolf?

Didn't Arthur purr in his sleep? No family besides his brother…avoided all talking about his life before he'd become a dream worker. The products Arthur always wore that messed with his scent and his acceptance of the fact that he wasn't completely human-

"Oh fuck I'm an idiot. Arthur…he's a fucking cat." He even acted like a damn cat, Eames mentally ranted as he slid down the wall, his back braced against it as he sat down somewhat hard. No wonder Arthur had known all that stuff about him even though so much of it was so classified only a handful of people knew about it. "Oh when I get him alone I'm going to tan his pretty little ass red. And damn if I'll kiss it better afterwards. That little shit."

"You slept with him?"

Actual shivers going down his spine as the wolf inside him sensed a serious threat to his health, Eames had to think beyond his own anger for a moment to process why he got the distinct impression he'd be in some serious physical pain if his cousin was with him physically. Then it occurred to him that Arthur could as easily be a last name as Blake. "His younger brother, not him."

"His brother is also a homosexual?"

"Yup. We work together sometimes. He wears a lot of crap that messes with his scent-it irritated my nose so much I didn't think about our instinctual reaction to cats." People always said he and Arthur fought like cats and dogs-how unexpectedly right they were.

"You never learned to use your sense of smell properly."

Ignoring that jab, who wanted to have super smelling powers anyway, Eames let Bane lecture him on how his decision not to harness his nose's potential increased his chances of being harmed or killed, sensing that they both needed some time to not only process the fact that they'd apparently slept with brothers but- "Wait a minute, Arthur said his brother was a top! He'd be like half of you at most! What the hell?!"

"That is none of your concern."

"I'd be trying to visualize it, but that's too much like imagining you with Arthur." Eames muttered to himself, Bane's sensitive hearing picking it up regardless, his cousin wanting to know what Arthur's last name was. "I don't know either, he goes by his first name. But I am damn well going to ask him because here he comes now."

Watching Arthur come towards him, a questioning look on his face, Eames asked Bane to hold for a minute as he got to his feet. That done he gave Arthur a look that pinned the point man in place. "First question, what is your last name?"

Eyes narrowing Arthur asked why he wanted to know, not liking the fact that the man didn't answer but simply kept looking at him in a way that had the hybrid animal inside of him itching to strike. Thankfully his human side had had a lot of practice bitch-slapping his more primitive instincts into submission. And while he considered refusing to answer, just on principle, he didn't like the idea of messing up his relationship with the forger just yet. Plus Dom knew it, so it wasn't like Eames couldn't find out if he pushed. Dom needed the other man too much not to give in.

"It's Blake."

Lifting the phone back to his ear Eames spoke softly. "You get that?"

"Yes."

Turning his attention back to Arthur, who wanted to know who he was talking to, Eames gave him a dark, condemning look. "My cousin, Kitty Cat. Want to say hi?"

Every muscle under Arthur's expensive suit tensed, Eames sensing the predator now that lurched within his lover. And then the younger man was walking over towards him, holding out his hand for the phone. Giving it over Eames watched him take it and put it to his ear.

"Harm my brother in any way and I will rip your spine out while you're still breathing. Try to use me against him and he'll be the one coming after you. He's more vicious than I am."

Message given Arthur disconnected the call and tossed the phone back to Eames.

"Keep looking at me like that and I'll break your nose. How many of your normal lovers did you tell? Would you have told me if I didn't make it clear I knew?" Arthur waited a moment for his words to sink and then he added his final words on the matter.

"And, Eames, if you telling your cousin about me comes back to harm myself or a member of my family, Bane won't be the only one bleeding. Now come back, Saito called. Fischer is dead and I don't know about you…but I want to finish this job as quickly as possible."

Gaze making it clear they were over Arthur turned on his heels and headed back inside without a backward glance.


	5. Tell Me Why

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put all my poor victims in.

Tell Me Why

Responding to the knock at his door Arthur nose wrinkled when it identified his visitor as one very stupid, possibly suicidal dog. That he was close enough to scent the forger most likely meant that the man knew he was there as well though, meaning that if he refused to open the door he would come off as being too cowardly or childish to face the idiot. And in less than twenty four hours he would be intrusting his life to the assehole in question on a nearly suicidal mission, Arthur thought darkly as he forced himself to unlock the door.

"Mr. Eames."

"Can I come in?"

Stepping off to the side Arthur motioned for the other man to enter, waiting until Eames had done so before closing the door firmly behind them and locking it once more. "I found three bugs when I got back. Saito's smart enough to realize I'm the most likely to bolt."

"You won't. That's not your style."

Acknowledging that to be true with a faint nod Arthur didn't bother to beat around the bush, asking Eames straight out why he'd come.

"I messed up. So did you but I'm going to be the better bloke and admit it first. I'll even say that I was the bigger arse and mean it. I shouldn't have given your last name to Bane, especially without finding out why he wanted it in the first place. I honestly thought he just wanted to find your brother because he was interested in him. I called him back after the meeting and he explained how you probably thought he was after your brother because the two got into a fight the last time they met. He asked that I tell you to tell your brother that he doesn't intend to harm him should they meet again unless he attacks Talia."

"Given their last meeting I'll take that with a grain of salt."

"Yeah, what the hell did happen between them anyway? I know they were hitting the sheets, I got that much out of the secretive bastard, but that's all I got."

Arthur couldn't help it, he was his brother's twin after all. A gleam came into his eyes as he asked if Eames really wanted to know.

Getting a real bad feeling, not that thinking about his cousin fucking Arthur's brother, who looked identical to Arthur in his mind, didn't make him somewhat nauseous already, Eames decided to shake his head, seeing that he'd made the right decision by the hint of disappointment he could see in the other man's eyes. "Okay, scratch that. So as I was saying-it pissed me off that you-we're friends, Arthur. Even before the rest we were friendly enough that I'd trust you with my back. We've known each other for years and never once did you tell me or even hint. And all that, on top of feeling like a fool for not figuring it out before…I acted badly."

Unfortunately enough time had passed since Eames had acted monumentally stupid for Arthur to come to similar conclusions. Not that he wasn't still pissed, and if anything happened to his other half because of Eames he would still kill the forger with his bared fangs, but unless that happened…he was willing to admit his actions could be seen in a bad light.

"I don't speak of what I am unless I have to, and you're a wolf. Your pack alpha is your godfather, and he is by all appearances honorable and trustworthy. The Great Bitch heads the other wolf pack and she is not. The ties between the two packs through blood and family loyalty are why hybrids don't speak about what was unless we have to to your kind. I trust you with my life, Eames, without question…but not the lives of those connected to me. I will not have their deaths on my conscience."

Putting two and two together Eames asked if it made any difference to him that he didn't like Talia either.

"No one with a working brain would like her."

"Bane does and he's probably as smart as you."

"According to my brother your cousin metaphorically let her cut off his balls so that she could wear them as earrings. That says incredibly dumb to me."

Okay, that was a really disturbing imagine. And made him really want to meet Arthur's brother. "He isn't that bad. He just…sees her as his alpha. If you weren't a cat you'd get that." Aside from lions he didn't think cat species ever moved in packs or prides.

"Cat or not, I know that the alpha is supposed to be the strongest member both physically and protectively. SHE is neither. Your cousin would be alpha if she'd just give him back his balls."

"Would you leave his balls out of it? It's disturbing to discuss them." Especially since he'd happened to see his cousin naked a couple of times and it had given him a bit of a complex even knowing the man's 'enhanced' body was a result of chemicals instead of God given.

The gleam came back into Arthur's eyes, he couldn't help it. "Jealous, Mr. Eames?"

"Why would I be? I got the better of the two Blake brothers."

Feeling his ears redden, dammit, Arthur tried not to look pleased. His brother was much more of a people person than him so people in general liked him better. Very few people had the sense to realize that while he controlled his beast completely Blake's was much closer to the surface and far more dangerous if provoked.

"That reminds me…so your brother goes by his last name or he just didn't want to tell Bane his first?" He'd promised Bane to at least ask and hadn't seen any harm in the request.

"He likes his first name about as much as you like yours."

"How bad is his?"

"I like it…but I like yours too."

"You would."

Rather than respond Arthur went quiet, weighing what he said and how he would say it this time as he addressed the real reason Eames had come. "My reasons for not revealing myself were honorable and right. Your reason for lashing out and giving Bane the information that you did was understandable. I will trust you with my life in the dreams…you can trust me with yours. I give you my word on that."

Understanding that he was being dismissed, but that they understood each other better at the moment, Eames sighed and accepted that that was the best he could hope for at the moment. "Can I ask you one question before I go?"

"Yes?"

"So…you're part jaguar, part spider?"

"No."

"Oh. Then you are…?"

"The first but not the second. The other animal genetics…that's for me to know and you to hopefully never find out."

Shaking his head, Arthur knew how bad his curiosity was, Eames opted not to argue and instead headed for the door without a word of complaint. But once he got there he turned and gave Arthur a questioning, seeking look. "When we work together again in the future, any chance of a second chance?"

"Ask me then."

"It's a deal."

Having followed Eames to the door, he'd need to lock it behind the man after all, Arthur couldn't seem to help himself from meeting the man's gaze, what he saw in those beautiful eyes making him forget all about the fact that he really should see the forger out before they did something really stupid like end up naked on the floor again.

Obviously thinking along the same lines Eames moved in and very slowly, wary of crossing a line, angled his head to the side to press a brief kiss against Arthur's lips, forcing himself not to linger. "Be careful tomorrow, all right?"

"I'm always careful." Arthur reminded him, taking a step back just in case. "I'm the stick in the mud who can't think outside the box, remember?"

"That's why I worry."

Lips quirking ever so slightly Arthur poked Eames in the chest. "As I'm going to be the one holding the second dream together, pissing me off would not be in your best interest, Mr. Eames."

"You'd miss me too much if I ended up stuck in limbo."

"Perhaps."

Eames winked. "Perhaps nothing, Darling. See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Arthur agreed softly, watching him go.

)

Two Months Later

Enjoying the scents and sounds of home Eames lay on the grass with no plans to move anytime soon. It was a beautiful, perfect day for being lazy, and in another week he'd be conscripted into helping one of his cousins work on the house he was building in preparation for getting married in the fall. Being an Eames man Anthony just had to make it himself instead of hiring someone to do it, their family having a long history of carpentry and construction work. And hell, if he hadn't inherited his granddad's place, which he'd always loved, he probably would have gotten around to making a home of his own by now.

Arthur would like his granddad's house too.

It had stopped annoying him by now, how often his thoughts turned to his former lover. Arthur wasn't someone you could forget, and the way things had been left between them was like an itch he just couldn't seem to scratch. Logically he knew that he should just be glad that they'd parted on decent terms, but that wasn't good enough. Over and over again his mind went back to Inception, to how Arthur had been cool enough to him in the beginning, but when he'd shown concern in the second dream, before the point man had put him under, Arthur's response had been-easy, almost jokingly. Like he'd known this could be the end and he wanted him to know that there really were no hard feelings.

At the airport afterwards everyone had been around them, Arthur's goodbye to him nothing special. He'd had no contact with the man since.

When the sound reached his ears, a shiver automatically ran down his spine, the sound of Arthur's purring doing it for him in the most primitive of ways. But a heartbeat later he knew that it wasn't his favorite kitty making the noise, but the recording he'd made of the man purring while he was sleeping. He'd made it his ringtone for Arthur.

Retrieving the phone from his pocket Eames put it to his ear, hoping he didn't sound too eager as he said Arthur's name.

"Hello, Eames."

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

A pause. "I just finished speaking with your mother. I need you to verify with her and your godfather that I and a companion can be trusted to enter your family compound."

"What? My mum? You want to come here with someone? Your brother? Why?"

"No, not Blake, but another hybrid. And I'm asking for permission to enter because I need to consult with your mother on a medical problem."

Aside from the scientists that had created them in the first place, no one knew more about the treatment and care of those who'd been experimented on than his mum. She ran the 'hospital' they had in their town and oversaw all those with medical problems severe enough that they couldn't survive without regular treatment.

"Your friend is ill?"

"No. I am."

The chill that went down his spine was of an entirely different sort, his teen years filled with memories of the hybrids that had been brought to his mum and her people for help. So much pain and suffering, many living in a constant state of agony that had led many of them to suicide as soon as they had the chance to do so. Hybrids didn't get sick the way that normal human beings did. When they needed medical attention it was serious.

"What's wrong, Darling? Do you need me to come get you?"

"If I'm correct about the problem I'll live. I've sent your mother all relevant data, and she's agreed to see me in four days with or without the permission. I'd rather it be with permission as surgery will most likely be required."

"What…what do you think is wrong?"

"I'd rather not say until your mother confirms. Will you speak with her and your alpha?"

"Yes, yes of bloody course I will. I'll be at the hospital when you come."

"That's not necessary."

Eames cursed the man out for thinking he wouldn't be there for him, not considering for a moment that this might not be the best way to react as his fears that something was seriously wrong with the man overrode his common sense. It was one thing for them not to be speaking, and an entirely other thing to consider the possibility of Arthur not being around to eventually start speaking to him again and giving him another chance.

How long he spent telling the man off Eames wasn't sure, it eventually occurring to him what he was doing and that even stranger was the fact that Arthur was letting him get away with it.

"Arthur…are you still there?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-."

"My brother would say worse if he knew about this. Will say worse. I don't want to worry him before its necessary-the same goes for you."

Running a hand that shook slightly through his hair Eames pulled himself together as much as he could and assured Arthur that as soon as the call ended he'd get ahold of the others and make sure that the two men were allowed to come onto the property.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Awkward silence followed and then Arthur said that he needed to end the call, something in his voice tipping Eames off to the fact that it was for health reasons the man had to get off the phone.

"I'll see you soon then."

"You will."

)

Waiting with his parents and his godfather for Arthur's arrival four days later Eames forced himself not to question his mum again about what she'd found out concerning his point man's health. She'd refused on the grounds of patient confidentiality, even when his godfather had gone alpha on her. All she'd been willing to say was that her findings were the same as Arthur's and that if they were right he would require her help but shouldn't need to stick around more than a couple days at most. That's what she said anyway, but there was something in her eyes, her voice that made all three men suspect that there was actually something very wrong with the hybrid and that whatever she was going to have to do to help him wasn't good.

And as always Arthur was ridiculously prompt, the extremely expensive looking black car coming over the hill ten minutes before the agreed upon time.

The man driving the car wasn't someone Eames had ever seen before, but decided to hate on sight. The unknown hybrid looked as expensive and fancy as the car, the sunglasses and clothes he wore as fashionable and perfectly tailored as anything one would find in Arthur's closet. Clean shaven, perfectly styled hair, and worst of all-someone Arthur was close enough to turn to when he needed help.

Engine growling like the felines it transported, the car smoothly pulled up in front of them and then was turned off, the driver getting out first.

Briefly Eames looked him over, confirmed that he didn't like this wanker one little bit, and then turned his attention to Arthur.

He was wearing shades that hide his eyes from view, the paleness of his skin and the stiffness of his gait suggesting something was indeed wrong with him. It was the large coat that tipped him off that something was very wrong though, the garment ugly and way too big for the man's slender frame.

Starting down the steps Eames watched Arthur's companion move smoothly between them, blocking the point man from his sight with his bulkier frame. Arthur's hand came into view, words murmured too low for him to catch but which made the other man move away, instead taking Arthur's arm as they walked up to meet the others together.

"Hello, Eames."

Not knowing what else to say Eames returned the greeting and then introduced the others. "This is my godfather, Captain James Kingsley, my father Lieutenant Will Eames, and my mum, Dr. Emily Eames. Everyone this is my friend Arthur and his friend…?"

"Bruce."

Everyone shaking hands now that the introductions had been made, Arthur was, as always, straight to the point now that the pleasantries had been observed.

"Were your findings conclusive with my hypothesis, Dr. Eames?"

"Yes, I'm afraid they were. I have everything set up inside, to confirm."

"Shit."

Everyone looked at Bruce in response to his reaction, Arthur saying nothing, revealing nothing on his face.

Ignoring them Bruce looked down at Arthur, his voice low but loud enough for the wolves to hear. "One of us needs to call him. You shouldn't do anything until he can be here with you. You know how he'll react when he finds out and he won't thank you for keeping him in the dark."

"I know, but let's see the results of the scans first…to see what sort of action is required."

"If he kills me I'm coming back to haunt you."

"That's only fair." Arthur agreed before turning his attention back to the others. "Would I be correct in assuming that you gentlemen aren't comfortable leaving the two of us alone with Dr. Eames?"

"We're coming as well." Eames father confirmed, shooting his eldest son a look when he opened his mouth to object yet again. His son had no concept of what the American test subjects had been subjected and trained to do. A wounded animal was dangerous enough, but one who'd known only abuse and pain during its formative years was even more so. His son might think he was more than capable of protecting his mum on his own should the unthinkable happen, but he was not betting his wife or son's life on that.

"Lead the way then."


	6. May The Odds

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's the way it's gotta be according to the lawyers.

May The Odds

The hospital was closed on Sundays unless there was an emergency case that needed to be seen to. In the beginning the building had housed many of the children who'd been too damaged both physically and mentally to be placed with a foster family, only the children that had resulted from the original British experiments had a clear cut parent to claim them. It had been an uphill battle at times but they'd reached the point where not a single hybrid had to live in the hospital anymore, though many still had to pay regular visits and be closely monitored just in case. Not being abused, experimented on, and forced into military training had done wonders for their health.

All but Eames's mother could smell the lingering traces of the patients who regularly came through the doors as they just had, Bruce and Arthur's cats not terribly fond of the smell of other apex predators but batting down their natural impulses easily enough. There was no immediate threat at the moment, the only thing to worry about being Arthur's health.

Obviously thinking along the same lines Kingsley ended the silence. "Mr. Blake, Dr. Eames has refused to state the nature of your illness due to patient confidentiality. If you would explain or give her permission to do so?"

Arthur was silent for several heartbeats and then spoke, his voice completely lifeless and clinical. "The scientist in charge of my group hated women. He thought their only real purpose was procreation and that if the necessity of their participation in that could be ended the world would be a utopia."

"I hate him even more already." Eames's mother muttered under her breath, followed by an apology for interrupting.

"No apology necessary. I assure you I hate him more than you can imagine. Especially now." Arthur responded before continuing from where he'd left off. "When myself and five others were twelve and a half years old the doctor in question announced that we would be undergoing a special procedure to make that dream of his a reality. He informed us that the human DNA used to create us had been chosen not just for their intelligence, abilities etc, but also because there was a consistent history of homosexuality in their family trees. He wished us to be born homosexual because he intended to physical alter our bodies so that we would be capable of being bred. Three procedures were done on us before we escaped and after reviewing the data we believed there was no cause for concern and it was just another one of his doomed to fail experiments. Apparently I was wrong."

"Wait…are you saying…you're pregnant?" Eames gaped at Arthur and then looked at Bruce in shock. "You knocked him up?!"

Bruce was so taken aback by the idea that he blurted out a response before thinking. "I most certainly did not! You did, you stupid dog!"

That statement was followed by a much more subdued 'oops', Bruce's shoulders hunching as he looked over at Arthur guiltily.

The three oldest members of the group began talking all at once, Eames's parents trying to wrap their heads around what Bruce had just said while Kingsley tried to find out more about the doctor and experiments, wanting to know who else could potentially find themselves in Arthur's situation.

Eames, for his part, spoke very, very softly as he asked Arthur over the din if he was going to be a dad.

"No." Moving away from Bruce Arthur shifted to stand in front of Eames, pausing for a moment before lifting his hands to frame the other man's face between his hands. "I'm sorry, but no. Whatever he did to make my present circumstances possible…the odds that he altered my body enough that it could carry the fetuses to the point where a C section could be performed are in the thirties at best. And even if I lucked out there…I'm a dual hybrid, Eames. Only thirty four percent of us were viable, the rest either dying in the womb or suffering extreme physical deformities that necessitated their termination. You aren't completely human either and our combined genetics-the odds that they would be born healthy, without deformities and being capable of integrating into the normal world…not even you would bet on those odds."

"You came for an abortion." Eames's father said, saying what everyone else was now thinking. Eyes flashing the man opened his mouth to tell the other man what he thought of him when Bruce gave a warning hiss.

"Think very, very carefully what you say to him." Bruce warned, having moved closer to put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "It will kill a part of his soul to do this…he'd keep them if he could. Don't you dare suggest different."

"There's…there's more than one?" Eames's mother asked hesitantly, the situation she found herself in now a million times worse. Grandchildren, was all she could think, she was going to have to kill her own grandchildren.

"I'm a twin, as was our sperm donor. The odds are high, especially given the fact that felines and canines generally have more than one offspring."

Only half hearing them Eames's hands seemed to move of their own according, seeking to physically touch the reality of the idea that was forming in his head. Fingers spreading wide over Arthur's stomach the air completely left Eames's lungs at the feel of the small, but undeniable bump he encountered. "You…already…how?"

"Human gestation might be 9 months, but for wolves its 62-75 days, and jaguars take 93-105 days. In terms of stomach size I look to be around four months along."

Staring down at his hands, knowing what they touched, Eames's eyes hardened and the set of his jaw was one recognizable as a sign that the infamous Eames family stubbornness was about to kick in. There was no way in hell he was going to accept what Arthur or anyone else was saying until he saw it with his own eyes. He would hope until all hope was lost and fight anything and anyone that got in the way of his child or children having the chance to live.

Arthur might not know it was a family trait, but he knew Eames and said the man's name quietly, a hint of pity in it now though it was still controlled.

I know you too, Eames thought as he turned his attention to the man who still wore his sunglasses, hiding his eyes from everyone. And knowing in his heart that Bruce had been right earlier he gathered the smaller man up into his arms and held him close, lifting one hand to stroke Arthur's hair while he ignored everyone else around them as they talked and tried to get their attention.

Arthur allowed it for a minute and then spoke just loud enough for Eames to hear. "I can't keep it together if you give me sympathy."

Knowing that Arthur would rather undergo bamboo torture than lose it in front of complete strangers Eames forced himself to let go but took Arthur's hand, making no comment when Bruce took the other. He wouldn't Arthur any support. "Right, let's go then. We have an ultrasound to look at."

"Eames..."

"You know me, Darling. I like long odds."

)

If he weren't feeling sorry for the man he'd maul him, Arthur thought as he let himself be herded around by Eames. Logically he understood that whereas he'd had a little over two weeks to accept why he was gaining weight and eating weird food after the strange fits of nausea had finally passed. He'd gone through the denial, the rage, and was still working on accepting that which was undeniable. Eames had only just found out, and the man was revolting optimistic when it came to bad odds. His forger was in the denial stage and so long as he didn't let it affect him, give him hope…then he'd get through seeing what was growing in his stomach and then…call his twin and wait for Blake to arrive before the abortion took place.

Neither Eames nor Blake would have ever forgiven him if he'd tried to keep this all from them…but oh how he wished he could have, Arthur bemoaned as he tried to ignore the hands squeezing his. As it was Bruce was only along because he was in wolf territory and needed someone capable of looking out for him should some danger arise. Eames would likely hesitate to harm one of his people, Bruce would not.

Bruce was also family; even though they weren't blood.

Kingsley opened the correct door, holding it open as Eames parents went through first, Bruce and Arthur both stopping at the scent that came from the room. Someone was already in the room, her scent indicating that she was like them. And while some would scoff at them thinking a lone female could hurt them…those scoffers hadn't grown up with the three females who'd survived Gotham's compound with them. They'd learned to fear and respect the wrath a woman was capable of. Particularly Selina.

"Her name's Hikaru, she's a bird type." Eames said softly, understanding. "She works in London as a pediatric nurse. Mum must have asked her to come to help. I know her, Arthur. It's okay."

Bruce and Arthur shared a long look and then the former let go of Arthur so that he and Eames could go through together with him bringing up the rear. They knew all of their kind, had researched them thoroughly. Hikaru Makino was no threat.

The woman in question wasn't actually Japanese, her adoptive parents were and had given her that name. She was small, as most bird types were, and watched them with kind, sympathetic eyes that nonetheless missed very little. Her career choice was in line with her early training as a medic for their kind, when she'd proven only average as a soldier, but she'd been a soldier first.

It was natural that she was wary of them, they were felines to her bird. They were also not known to anyone she would know, the amount of danger they posed therefore also unknown. It would be best if it stayed that way too.

Introductions were made, and then Arthur was told to lie down on the hospital bed.

Shrugging off his coat Arthur handed it to Bruce and then walked over to take a seat on the side of the bed, taking a deep breath before reaching up to remove the sunglasses he'd been wearing up until that point.

Gone were the brown eyes Eames had looked into for years, in their place gold orbs that were identical to the eyes possessed by a real jaguar.

"I want to see them with my real eyes."

Not waiting or wanting to see anyone's reaction Arthur stretched out on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as he forced himself not to bolt. He hadn't lain on a hospital bed since his time in the compound. It just made this all a little bit worse.

Walking over to take Arthur's hand again Eames looked down at the man who was pointedly not looking at him. "So cat eyes…the bump on your back was a tail once?"

"Yes. It was removed along with my second pair of ears when I was still an infant." Arthur pulled up his shirt as he spoke, ignoring the machine that was being turned on and the discussion Eames's mother and Hikaru were having in low voices he could have easily overheard if he wanted.

"You had cat ears?" Eames grinned in spite of himself. "You'd look adorable with cat ears."

Don't make me kill you and use my hormones as an excuse."

Grinning that much more, it was such an Arthur response after all, Eames kept up a string of teasing remarks about how Arthur was essentially a cat even without the physical markings while his mum and Hikaru finished setting up and applied the jelly stuff to Arthur's stomach.

When it was time Eames wasn't surprised to feet his dad's hands settle on his shoulders, supporting him as his mum brought over the transducer. His godfather stood off to the side with Bruce, ready to take the younger man down if it should prove necessary. He was pretty sure the man in question knew it too, but Bruce's attention remained on Arthur as he pointedly ignored the other man.

"Here we go then."

They all watched the screen, waiting for images to come together to give them as clear a picture possible of what was going on in Arthur's stomach. It was difficult at first, but slowly Eames's mother could make out enough that she moved the transducer so that they could see the two infants spooned together.

Staring at them, he knew he and his own twin had done the same in the womb, Arthur wasn't even aware he was squeezing Eames's hand hard enough to break fingers. He knew human biology, knew what to look for and the still logical part of his brain saw the rest, saw the fact that the only obvious mutation was the hint of a tail on one infant. They were not stuck to the wall lining of his stomach, which would have spelled death for them and himself if he'd tried to carry them to term, but in a womb that Crane had created inside him. Everything the babies would need was present except for a way to get out and a C-section…

"Mum?"

Her free hand over her mouth, tears streaming down her face, Eames's mother met her son's gaze and dropped her hand, revealing a wide smile. "For once your love of bad odds paid off, Baby. Congratulations."

)

The room was immediately filled with voice as Eames's father and godfather echoed the congratulations, Eames's mother struggling and failing to get ahold of herself and listen to what Hikaru was saying about the steps they would need to take to insure that nothing was missed and that the infants were removed from Arthur's stomach as soon as possible in order to avoid any unexpected surprises. Bruce's response was a delighted war whoop and his own congrats, Arthur not saying anything for a good two minutes while Eames couldn't stop talking.

Arthur's quietness eventually became noticed, everyone turning their attention to him, worried something was wrong or that the poor man had gone into shock.

Looking at Eames's mother when she placed a maternal hand on his shoulder, asking him if he was all right, Arthur found his voice enough to ask, in a voice drenched in emotion, if she was sure there was a good chance this could work.

"Yes, Arthur, from what we're seeing right now, there's a very good chance."

"Okay."

His movement was so quick that only Bruce wasn't surprised, Arthur lying down one minute and then the next he was sitting up with his knees brought up against his chest and his folded arms hiding his face from view as his body shook with emotion even though no sound registered in even the most sensitive of ears.

Understanding had Eames moving in to just stroke Arthur's hair, not asking to see his face or try to talk to him. Arthur had been expecting a very different outcome and the man had always bottled up his emotions to a very unhealthy degree.

The situation was made that much weirder due to the sudden introduction of the Spiderman theme song which surprised everyone, Arthur jerking under Eames's hand.

"Figures." Reaching into Arthur's jacket pocket Bruce retrieved the cellphone, accepting the call before bringing it to his ear. "He's okay, Blake, quit freaking out."

"Don't you tell me not to fucking freak out!" Came a voice that sounded eerily like Arthur's. "What's wrong with him? Why the fuck are you answering his phone? Put him on NOW!"

Lifting one hand free Arthur continued to hide his face as he wiggled his fingers for the phone.

"Be nice or you'll hate yourself later." Bruce advised the most overprotective brother in the history of the world before handing the phone over to Arthur, Blake sputtering over the line that he didn't need to be told that.

"Hey."

"What's wrong? You've been putting me off for weeks, you know I know when something's wrong with you. And just now…what's going on, Little Brother?"

"The only thing wrong is that Quinn is going to be very upset with me soon."

A pause and then an agreement that yes, Quinn being mad at you was cause for a great deal of alarm, especially if she had sugar in her system. However given how much Quinn loved him Blake was having a hard time understanding the emotional upheaval he'd sensed moments before and could hear in his brother's voice. And what did she have to be mad about anyway?

"She won't like not being my only child."

An even longer pause followed that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the doctor's plan to make us capable of bearing children…worked. I'm pregnant, Blake. I'm pregnant and the babies are okay."

Now there was no silence as Blake demanded an explanation with a lot of curse words thrown in, Arthur giving him a rundown in a fairly together voice without swearing. It was no surprise to anyone that Blake threw back all the things to be worried about just like his brother, though he mentioned cases of hybrids being formed with their organs outside their bodies or born without limbs and other necessary parts with plenty of horrific imagery.

And then it suddenly occurred to the man on the phone that if his brother was actually knocked up then….

"HOLY FUCK! ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT THAT STUPID DOG, THE EVEN STUPIDER BANE'S COUSIN, KNOCKED YOU UP?!"

"Obviously he's never met Bane." Eames's mother murmured while Arthur confirmed that yes, Eames was the other father. "Stupid is not the word I'd use."

"Uhm, actually he has…and he and Bane really don't get-holy shit!" A thought had just occurred to him. "Are you and Blake identical twins?"

Since Arthur was trying to calm Blake down on the phone Bruce answered that yes, the two were identical. On the outside, anyway.

"Oh bugger. That's going to make family get-togethers...awkward."


	7. Tentative Plans

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters get in.

Tentative Plans

Since it was in everyone's best interest that the relationship between Blake and Bane not be discussed, especially with women present, Bruce's mind frantically tried to think of something else they could talk about instead. "So you're probably wondering about Quinn, given what he said. She's not actually his daughter, she just calls him Mommy. Quinn always wanted parents, and the twins kind of adopted her when she came to our compound. Blake's Daddy." Bruce gave Eames a sympathetic look. "You see a very short, grown up version of Shirley Temple coming at you…well you're probably safe. It's when you don't see her coming that you're in trouble." A peregrine falcon hybrid, Quinn was the most dangerous sniper in the world. She didn't miss.

"Okay." Imagining a curly haired badass with chubby cheeks and dimples, Eames made a mental note to get on the woman's good side right away.

"Which group are you…four from?" Kingsley wanted to know. They'd never discovered the identity of the person or people who'd arranged to leak the information about the American experiments, and what data they'd been given had been edited in places for unknown reasons. He'd made his business to memorize what information he had been given however and the two felines in front of him weren't ringing any bells.

"We're felines. We don't really do the pack or group thing."

"I meant which compound are you from."

"If you want a character reference you can contact Patrick Edwards." Patrick was the 'alpha' of the Sullivan compound so to speak, and Quinn had married one of his hybrids a couple years ago. While Patrick didn't know the Gotham hybrids well, he had agreed to vouch for Arthur since he not only owed them, but the man was smart enough to fear Quinn's wrath if he didn't.

Okay, the Sullivan group, that made sense, the Eames family and Kingsley thought together. All able bodied members of that group had moved back to the States once they were legal and were second only to the al Ghul pack when it came to being secretive. Obviously more hybrids had escaped from that compound then they'd previously realized.

"So back to what you were saying earlier…Arthur's brother and Bane don't get along?"

"They did…" Bruce started to say, giving Eames's mother his most charming smile as he tried to think of a neutral answer that would satisfy her.

Thankfully everyone's attention automatically shifted back to Arthur when he began to speak a language none of them recognized, Blake speaking the same on the other end. Given that they'd all travelled all over the world for work it was saying something that they all shared oblivious looks as they tried desperately to figure out what was being said.

"What language is that?" Eames had a feeling this was definitely not a conversation he should be left out of but damn if he'd recognized a single word yet.

Rather than answer that question, the language his pack had learned as teenagers was known only to them and certain diehard fans of a certain literary series, Bruce told them what the two were talking about. "They're discussing where Arthur is staying until Blake gets here."

Now the argument was between three people as Eames immediately insisted that Arthur was coming to stay with him for the duration of the pregnancy at the very least. His place was less than fifteen minutes away from the hospital and there was no way in hell Arthur and their babies were going to be out of his sight until the kids were old enough to go away to college. This of course didn't suit Blake in the slightest and the argument turned to the fact that Arthur's twin was not about to risk his family by letting them stay in dumb dog territory.

Rubbing his temples Arthur took a deep breath and then told them both to shut up for a minute, the two men in question shutting up because they knew that tone well. "Blake, I'll be at Eames's place when you get here. Bruce and I would have come last week if not for the fact that we knew the Great Bitch and her bitches would be out of the country this week. You'll get here well before they do even if Kingsley called them in now. Bruce and Eames are more than capable of watching out for me until you get here. Now I feel like crap and I really, REALLY need a nap. Call me when you're in England."

And not waiting for a reply Arthur shut off the phone and then got off the bed, allowing Eames to 'help' him since he was too tired to care about his perceived masculinity. He was pregnant, that alone brought his manhood into question.

Not being an idiot, or a fan of Talia al Ghul's, Kingsley figured she was the Great Bitch Arthur had been referring to. He also hadn't missed how this Blake fellow apparently felt about Bane and came to the conclusion that these twins and the other wolf pack were not on friendly terms. "I'll inform my pack that Eames has feline guests and that you're under my protection unless you give me a reason to rescind that. We'll wait until your brother gets here to hammer out all the details since apparently he's going to be the major problem. How bad does al Ghul want you lot broken and bleeding?"

"She's offering a quarter of a million dollars for my brother's head…and they don't know he's a twin."

Crap was the general consensus after the telling silence.

Kingsley asked why, having noticed by now that this seemed to be a topic the two hybrids really didn't want to discuss.

Opting to be truthful Arthur sighed. "The short version is that she didn't like the fact that my brother was hanging around Bane and ordered Bane to stay away from Blake. Blake got pissed at her and she said some things and…he webbed her and then Bane when he attacked in her defense. From what I gather she isn't advertising what he did, she's just labeled him as dangerous to the pack."

"Webbed?" Eames's father repeated, unable to believe that someone who was built like the man before him could take down his nephew.

"Blake is a jaguar and spider hybrid. He can shoot webbing? That's bloody brilliant. Is that why he's ringtone on your cell is the Spiderman theme?"

Arthur and Bruce nodded in unison to Eames's query.

Intrigued, as well as determined to meet and evaluate the threat Blake might pose to the people under his protection, Kingsley asked what time Blake would be arriving the next day since he wanted to meet him as soon as possible.

"He's in Austria; he'll message me with his ETA once he figures out the quickest way to get here."

Nodding, Kingsley requested that he be informed when Blake arrived and then suggested that they finish up whatever tests needed to be done so that Eames could take Arthur back to his place so that the other man could rest up since he obviously did need that nap.

Snapping to attention at that, she'd been far too focused on imagining the unbelievable cuteness her grandbabies would possess given the good looks of her son and Arthur, Eames's mother immediately took over, the men wisely letting her.

)

Sitting beside Eames in the backseat of Bruce's car a half an hour later, Arthur was so tired he just wanted to curl up and sleep. He felt like he'd been beaten and battered emotionally and physically to his breaking point for weeks now. If he didn't get away from everyone so that he could recover in peace he was totally going to lose it in public. In front of Eames. And freaking out that way couldn't be good for the babies either. Oh God but he was having babies. With Eames. And he was going to be staying at Eames's house because the stubborn ass wouldn't accept otherwise. It was probably going to be a complete bachelor dump, and the last thing he needed was to be surrounded by mess which his stupid, perfectionist tendencies would demand he clean up because he just couldn't stand disorder and his own exhaustion be-

"We're here."

Turning his head to face front Arthur was too tired to show how shocked he was as he took in the upscale looking cabin they were stopping in front of, the home beautifully crafted and seeming to fit in perfectly with the forest around it. It looked to be two stories with possibly an attic, its age apparent in its weathered exterior.

Getting out of the vehicle Arthur was glad for the sunglasses he was wearing again, the dark lens hopefully hiding at least some of his exhaustion and turbulent emotions. But as tired as he was he could see that Eames was waiting for a reaction to the house, obviously hoping for a positive one that would suggest he'd be willing to stay.

"It's beautiful, Eames."

"I know, right? Been in my family for four generations." Eames grinned and then switched back to protective mode, announcing that they should get inside so that Arthur could rest up a bit before he gave him the full tour.

"You two go on in, I'll put the stuff in the cooler away once I find your kitchen and then sit somewhere with my laptop and get some work done."

Cocking his head questioningly Eames asked what was in the cooler, neither striking him as the cooler type.

Arthur's lips curved just a little. "Bananas and peanut butter. Lots of bananas and peanut butter. The twins are fine letting me have what I want for dinner, but for breakfast and lunch they'll only let me eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches on white bread. Everything else they insist I throw up. Violently."

Torn between being amused and delighted over this adorable oddity, and feeling sorry for Arthur for the amount of throwing up he must have done before he figured out what the babies wanted, Eames decided to play it safe and instead offered to help with the unloading after he showed Arthur the guest room.

"Not much to unload since we didn't plan to be here that long." Pulling out a duffle bag Bruce called Arthur's attention to it and then lightly threw it in the other feline's direction. "See you after your nap."

"Thanks."

Far more concerned with Arthur than he was about Bruce Eames neatly nipped the bag out of Arthur's hand and slugged it over his own shoulder, insisting that he would carry it while he motioned towards the porch stairs with his other hand.

Too tired to argue Arthur headed for the house, using what was left of his physical strength to make sure he didn't trip and fall, one arm instinctively wrapping around his waist at the thought of even falling. He hadn't been taking precautions earlier, he'd assumed there was no need since the lives growing within him would have to be ended anyway. Now that he knew he could keep them, that they would grow and be his in the most intimate of ways…he was going to do absolutely everything in his power to make sure nothing went wrong that was within his control. To that end he would let Eames baby him, which he knew would happen since he'd seen the forger around Phillipa and James, not to mention listened to the man go on and on about his nieces and nephews. The man seriously loved children, most probably because they often had the same maturity level.

Smiling a little at that thought Arthur followed Eames into the house and up the stairs to the second floor, not paying much attention to his surroundings least he get distracted. He'd give the place a thorough looking over once he'd gotten some sleep, but until then all he wanted was a comfortable flat surface to stretch out on.

The guest room Eames showed him was small but was clean and had a bed, which at this point was all he cared about. Slipping off the articles of clothing he didn't need to have on Arthur neatly set them aside and then asked for the duffle bag.

Handing it over Eames figured that Arthur wanted to change before going to bed, a sign that he should probably vacate the room. Not that he didn't want to see the other man naked, that was a given, but things were very up in the air between them still and he needed to convince Arthur to stay with him and that meant showing the man that he could give Arthur space as well as attention. Hovering would not go over well.

"I'll…go see that your friend gets settled in, then. Do you need anything else?"

"No. Just wake me up in a couple hours. We'll talk then."

"Alright, sweet dreams."

Nodding his head Arthur turned his back to Eames while he opened the duffle bag, pulling out the thick quilt that he'd brought with him from home when his ears picked up the sound of the other man's retreating footsteps. It was absolutely ridiculous for a man of his age and experience to need a security blanket but…his world was topsy turvy at the moment and he'd known it would calm him, at least a little, to have something familiar with him that spoke of home.

Stretching out on the bed without bothering to get under the covers, Arthur pulled the quilt over his head so that he could smell only home before closing his eyes and willing himself to sleep. Unfortunately his training interfered with that as every ten minutes or so the guestroom door opened and he could feel eyes on him for a while before Eames reluctantly left him alone again. And while the delivery of his suitcase explained the first visit…by the forth he didn't even bother to pretend to be asleep. "Are you going to check on me like this tonight, too?"

"Uhm…"

Shaking his head while a rueful smile curving his lips, Arthur sat up in bed and wrapping the quilt around him like a cape ignored Eames's apologies as he headed towards the door where the other man was hovering nervously. "I'll sleep in your room then. Bring my suitcase, please."

Following his nose Arthur went straight to his former lover's room and was on 'his' side of the bed with his blanket before Eames had caught up to him, Arthur aware of his suitcase being set off to the side before .

"You can have a nap too…but NO talking."

"Yes, Sir."

)

The mattress dipped as Eames laid down on it, shifting close so that they were almost touching. Wisely Eames opted not to comment on the quilt Arthur seemed determined to cart around with him, though it was seriously adorable and cute. For now he would just be grateful that the other man was allowing him to remain close even though it had been pretty obvious earlier that all Arthur wanted was to be left alone.

When Arthur's arm came out from under the blanket Eames watched it curiously, figuring out that it was his own hand the point man was seeking when Arthur's hand aimed for his side. Grabbing the hand Eames gave it a squeeze, thinking that Arthur wanted that bit of comfort.

But no, his hand was gently pulled across Arthur's body to disappear under the quilt, Arthur pressing their linked fingers against his slightly rounded stomach.

"Thank you, Darling."

Spreading his fingers over the bare skin that lay over the two lives they'd created together, Eames had to swallow hard against the rush of emotions that knowledge brought to the forefront. He'd always intended to adopt someday, if he found someone he wanted to marry and raise kids with, but being gay he'd never imagine that those hypothetical children would be his own flesh and blood. That he'd be there as they grew and matured inside their mommy's tummy. He was going to be a father. Someone's Daddy.

"A lot to take in, huh?"

Smiling a little Eames agreed as he started to rub Arthur's tummy in a soothing fashion, remembering his brothers in law doing that for his sisters when the babies got a bit too rowdy in their mummies tummies. Soon their babies would be big enough that Arthur would be able to feel them moving around if he remembered correctly. Then he'd be able to feel them kick and-

The sound of Arthur purring while still awake cut off Eames's previous thoughts in a snap. "Arthur…."

"I can't help it. I'm a cat."

Oh if only he'd known that rubbing the man's tummy would get this reaction before, he would have so taken advantage. "Do you…think the twins will have kitty ears like you too?"

"I hope not. I don't imagine your mother will enjoy having more to amputate."

Okay…there went the adorable pictures of little Arthurs with cat ears and tails.

"Eames…you do know things could still go wrong. You need to prepare for that." Arthur's voice was exhausted, but the point man seemed determined to stay awake just a little bit longer.

"Things can go wrong even with normal pregnancies. I choose to believe our babies are going to be born perfect and healthy and preferably boys because heaven help us if we end up with girls. My sisters used to complain non-stop about us scaring off potential boyfriends, but at least they had mum to help them. If we have girls they'll have to contend with two heavily armed daddies, a seriously badass and overprotective uncle, and all the other men in our combined families. They won't get dates until they're smart enough to get away from us."

Arthur's response was definitive. "I'll always be able to find them."

"I don't know…if they take after you in the brains department…"

"I'll still be able to find them."

Amused, Eames was willing to concede that it was unlikely their children would be able to outwit their mummy, though he insisted he was right about girls being far more troublesome than boys.

"Boys would be best, yes. But, Eames…"

"No buts. We hope for the best and we'll get it too."


	8. Extreme Brother Complex

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters get in.

Extreme Brother Complex

After their nap and a quick dinner, Bruce opted to eat elsewhere so that they could talk in private, Eames gave Arthur a thorough tour of the entire house in an obvious bid to convince him that there was no better place for them to raise their children in. He even rustled up a notebook and pen for Arthur to use so that the other man could make a list of things they'd need to baby proof the place before the twins arrived. He also pointed out the office he never used but which Arthur could if he needed to, as well as a guest room that Blake could occupy until the other man was satisfied that Arthur and the babies couldn't be in better hands.

Not committing to anything, especially since they still had Blake to deal with, Arthur didn't ask many questions and dutifully made notes along the way. It was a beautiful house, perfect for raising a family in, but he was a realist and saw no point in imagining they being able to make this their family home until he got a better sense of the place and more importantly, the neighbors.

"Your attic, how high is the ceiling?"

"About seven feet, why?"

"Blake's part spider." Arthur reminded him with a small smirk. "He likes attics."

Okay, personally he couldn't see how offering Blake the attic was the way to get on the other man's good side, but he supposed Arthur knew better than anyone what his brother would and wouldn't take offense to. "If he wants to stay up there that's fine, though how we're going to get the guest bed up there is another question."

"He won't need one, he'll just spin a web to sleep in."

Now that would be cool to see, not to mention try out. Hopefully Blake liked him enough to let him someday.

Since they were on the topic of his brother Arthur figured that now was as good a time as any to clue Eames in on something he would need to know about Blake. "Look, Eames, I just want you to know-to understand-you know me pretty well, so you know I'm not much for public displays of affection , and treating me like I'm delicate or need looking after is a good way to get me to shoot you. But from here on out you can do both until the pregnancy is over and I won't give you hell, shoot you, or physically attack you in any way. And the reason I'll allow you to treat me that way is because Blake will do much worse than you will." A moment's pause. "My brother has the biggest brother complex I've ever seen. He loves me to the extent that I've lost track of the number of people he and I have beaten the shit out of because they suggested a threesome or made an incest crack. Eames…he and I are polar opposites when it comes to our animal natures. His is very close to the surface, and he will cross any line to keep me safe and happy."

"Would he take you away from here against your will?"

"Not likely, but not out of the realm of possibility." Taking Eames by the hand Arthur gave it a small squeeze. "But if he did I'd insist he took you with us, or I'd find a way to let you know where I was. You have my word on that."

Bringing their joined hands to his lips Eames kissed the back of Arthur's. "And I'll protect the four of you with my life."

Allowing himself to be drawn into Eames's arms Arthur smiled at him. "Now that that's settled you should know that in about two hours I'm going to pass out, so you need to shower."

Intrigued but clueless, Eames asked why.

"Because I need to cover you in my scent so that Blake knows you belong to me again. He'll be less likely to hurt you that way…and I'm pretty sure most people who are happy to learn they're going to be parents are supposed to celebrate by reenacting the process that got them into that situation in the first place."

Normally he would have been all for it, this was Arthur after all and he hadn't been with anyone since the Fischer job, but… "Uhm, you're pregnant, and uh…can't cats get pregnant more than once? My Gran had a cat, and I'm pretty sure she said that the kittens in the litters were different colors because they probably had different fathers."

"One, I'm not in heat, two, it was a miracle I got pregnant in the first place, and finally…if you don't want to go near my ass, well there are plenty of other things we could do. Either way I'm not letting you near Blake without making it clear to him that your body is mine and I won't tolerate anyone else using it as a scratching post."

"Wait…are you worried he'll hit on me since Bane and I look so much alike?" That would be beyond awkward on a number of levels. Arthur AND Bane would take turns maiming him beyond all recognition. Then they'd kill him very, very dead.

Eyes narrowing dangerously, Arthur's gaze made it clear that if he even suggested interest in his twin he was going to be the one tearing Eames to shreds with his bare hands.

"No need to look at me like that, Darling. If your brother loves you as much as you say he does then there's no way he'd hit on me, and being crazy about you I have no interest in hitting on him. And even if I did Bane would bloody well kill me since regardless of what he says I'm convinced he fancies your brother quite a bit, which is just one more reason I would never try for your brother since it's just bad manners to hit on the ex of a family member or friend." And knowing when to change the subject Eames suggested that they head back to their bedroom so that they could shower together and discuss all the ways Arthur could go about 'marking' his territory.

Amused, Arthur smirked as he motioned for Eames to lead the way.

They didn't speak until they were almost at their destination, Eames unable to remain quiet anymore since he had an important question to ask Arthur before they got naked together.

"This showering and shagging thing…is it because you really think your brother is going to try and kick my arse otherwise, or is this you telling me that you are going to give me a second chance with you?"

"Eames, if this pregnancy does result in children you and I will have to be together in some form or another for at least eighteen years. We are not going to scar our twins by passing them back and forth between us like a football, and I think it's important that we get along so that they know they've got both of us and that we're capable of working together as a team. That being the case…yes, I am willing to give you a second chance."

"You want to sleep with me because it will make our kids happy?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "No. I'm willing to try and have a real relationship with you because we're having children together. I want you to take me up against your shower wall and whatever other surfaces spark your fancy in the next couple hours because I haven't had sex since you and I ended things and now that I know I'm not going to have to abort our children or deal with some horrible medical complication I could really go for some quality sex and that's one thing you and I both do really well together. I don't have to 'shag' you to transfer my scent, Einstein. I could just cuddle against you."

"You haven't been with anyone either?"

About to comment that Eames was focusing on the wrong part Arthur realized what the other man had just insinuated. And okay, it probably wasn't personal, Eames probably just hadn't run across anyone he was sexually interested in in the two months since they'd been apart, but still…

"I was a little busy throwing up and feeling like crap…but yeah, I missed you too."

Wrapping his arm around Arthur's waist Eames grinned at him like an idiot and didn't care. "I missed you more."

"Care to show me how much?"

"It would be my pleasure, Darling."

)

It took a great deal of effort on Eames's part to get up the next morning, his body making it quite clear that it would much, much rather stay in bed for the foreseeable future, preferably with Arthur beside him. Unfortunately Blake would be arriving within the hour if everything went according to schedule, he reminded himself, and he would not be getting off on the right foot with his lover's brother if he arrived to find them still in bed or shagging.

Not that Blake could possibly miss the fact that his little brother had marked his territory quite thoroughly during the night and into the morning. They both smelled of each other and sex, to the point where they were both tempted to hit the showers and hope for best where Blake was concerned.

It was all Arthur's body fault too, Eames thought as he got dressed in the clothes Arthur had picked out for him. He got half hard just thinking about how sensitive and responsive the pregnancy had made the other man's body, especially below the belt.

And you didn't even want to get him started on Arthur's former tail.

"Don't even think about it."

Giving Arthur his most innocent look Eames asked him oh so politely what he was referring to.

"You know what I'm talking about." His nipples were still painfully red and swollen, he had stubble burn everywhere, and the huskiness of his voice made it obvious that he'd strained the hell out of it with all the noise he'd made because his stupid body had turned him into a nymphomaniac. Thank God Eames's protective instincts towards the babies were so strong that the man had ignored his begging for constant ass action, or he probably wouldn't have been able to sit down any time soon.

Loving the redness of the man's ears Eames couldn't resist giving Arthur a quick nuzzle before suggesting that they head down to the kitchen for breakfast before they did what he'd been thinking about.

A quick shudder was Arthur's response to that, the point man following Eames out of the room like a kitten trailing his master.

Once they arrived in the kitchen they discovered Bruce already there, eating a bowl of cereal. The man looked up from the paper he was reading to wish them good morning, studying them for a long moment and then shook his head. "Well that's one way to keep Blake from attacking him on sight." And since he didn't want to think too hard about what he'd accidentally overheard the night before, as well as what his nose was telling him, Bruce figured that was enough said and turned his attention back to what he'd been doing.

All of them reluctantly amused and embarrassed as hell, they opted to say no more on the matter as Eames and Arthur put together their own breakfast and joined Bruce at the table.

"So are you sticking around once Blake gets here, Bruce?" Eames asked after a while, figuring that enough time had passed.

"Not unless I need to. I'm more of a city person, hybrid or not."

"Do you think he'll insist you stay?" Arthur asked, knowing that if Blake asked that favor of Bruce the man would give in. Bruce had always been amusingly susceptible to Blake's dimples and big eyes.

His twin made the movie Puss in Boots look like an amateur.

"I don't think so. If he thinks about it rationally he'll realize you're safe simply because the Great Bitch can't afford to piss off and isolate her pack from all the others, which she would definitely do if she attacked, much less killed the grandchildren of the doctor who saved their lives when they came here and continues to look after them. As long as you're pregnant you should be off limits, and any attack on Blake would be seen as an implied threat towards you. The Bitch is crazy, not completely stupid. Hybrids stick together."

Liking where this was going Eames pointed out that the original wolves and their natural offspring were a part of his 'pack' so to speak, and they'd be on their side too. Or most of them would anyway. And he definitely didn't believe for a minute that Bane would condone the killing of unborn children. Even if Talia ordered him to do that there was just no way.

It went unsaid that they were all pretty sure that Talia was warped enough to give that kind of order without a second thought.

)

A short while later all three of them heard the vehicle pulling up into the driveway, Eames not missing the look Arthur and Bruce shared as they pushed back their seats and got up, following their example since he couldn't wait to get a look at Arthur's twin. Yes the guy might try to kill him for knocking up his little brother-wow that sounded so weird even in his mind, Eames thought with a grin as he followed them out of the room and into the hallway. But yeah, regardless of the injuries he might be about to receive he couldn't wait to meet Arthur's mysterious brother, seducer of Bane and possessor of a brother complex that was apparently beyond Japanese animation level.

The fact that the guy looked just like Arthur made it that much better.

Or not so much like Arthur as he'd expected, Eames saw moments later as Bruce opened the door to reveal the man leaning against the porch railing directly across from the door, his arms crossed and his eyes piercing in their intensity.

It was Arthur's face, but this version of his lover had dyed his hair white blond, slicked it back the way Arthur did, and was wearing a black leather duster and extremely casual, well worn clothes that hugged his body lovingly.

Eames had only a heartbeat to appreciate the fact that Arthur would make a surprisingly good blond before the man in question was across the porch and in his brother's arms, the way Blake clutched Arthur in turn and the look on the other man's face made it clear that Arthur hadn't been exaggerating the bond between the two.

"What the hell did you do to your hair?" Bruce wanted to know as he and Eames stayed back a little, giving the other two some room.

Lifting his head up to meet Bruce's gaze, his face formerly pressed against Arthur's neck, Blake grinned and answered in a perfect British accent. "Well my target decided to make his delivery at a comic book convention, the little pissant thinking I'd lose him in the crowds and costumes no doubt. I figured when in Rome, and I do have the fangs to pull off Spike quite well." The grin was very un-Arthur like, and naughty as hell. "If you want to see pictures there should be plenty online by now, I met a darling 'Angel' cosplayer who was quite happy to be nibbled on in public."

Not bothering to ask if Blake had completely his job, his brother always got his man, Arthur simply reached out and ran his fingers through his brother's hair. "I take it you intend to cut it all off soon?" Blake tended to let it grow until it annoyed him and then chop it all off.

Dropping the accent Blake gave a careless shrug. "Well that was the thought, but this way we can tell the Great Bitch and her neutered runts to shoot for the blond and not the brunette. At least until you get so fat they'll know which is which straight off." Moving a step back Blake moved down on one knee with feline grace. "And speaking of getting fat…."

Lifting up Arthur's shirt Blake studied the bump there, his fingers splaying out protectively over the physical evidence of his brother's condition. He'd hacked into the file Dr. Emily Eames had already started for Arthur and had read all the data, looked at all the images she'd recorded from the ultrasound, and talked things over with Bruce at length while his brother had napped the day before.

But seeing was believing, Blake acknowledged as he placed an ear against his brother's stomach, wanting to see if he could hear anything that way. He thought he did, but that was probably wishful thinking on his part. He didn't know a lot about this sort of thing, though between the two of them he and Arthur would know everything there was to know soon enough. 'Hello, Babies', he thought to them as he leaned in as he nuzzled his cheek against his brother's stomach, 'I'm your Uncle Blake and I'll do everything in my power to make sure this world never sucks for you'.

Straightening up Blake simply stared into his brother's eyes for several heartbeats, no words necessary between them. They knew what the other meant and would do for them.

Messages given and received, Blake turned his attention to the man who was standing beside Bruce.

Bane was definitely better looking, no question, but Blake was willing to admit that the man who currently smelled like his brother looked enough like his cousin to be consider damn yummy. He'd made it his business to know everything there was to know about the men and women that his brother worked with regularly, and he'd refreshed himself where this one was concerned during the night.

Stepping forward Eames held out his hand towards Blake. "Pleasure to meet you, Blake, I'm Eames."

Taking the hand Blake shook it in turn. "Just so we're clear I hate your cousin, I don't like your kind in general, and if anything bad happens to my brother because of you I will come down on you like the plagues of Egypt." Blake grinned, showing his dimples. "But it is nice to meet you too."


	9. Only Skin Deep

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put all my poor victims in. Thanks for reading.

Only Skin Deep

It didn't take long for Eames, his parents, or his godfather to figure out that while Blake could be as charming as Eames when he wanted to be, it was only skin deep. Blake was congenial, friendly, and appeared easygoing because he thought that would get him what he wanted as well as lull them into a false sense of security, in the hopes that they'd never see the danger he posed until it was too late. In this case they saw through the hybrid's façade, the animals that dwelled inside them knowing a fellow apex predator when they encountered one. Arthur's animal self was so well controlled and hidden he could pass for normal so long as his scent was covered, but the man's twin couldn't say the same.

Still, it was obvious that all Blake cared about was Arthur's wellbeing, and since that was what was most important to Eames too the forger had no problem being on the other man's side.

It took some time and convincing, a lot in fact, but eventually it was decided that the two sets of twins, both born and unborn, would stay here until the babies were born at the very least. They had the support of the original wolves, and according to Kingsley many of the hybrids that lived within the town had also made their willingness to back the decision and aid the originals if the other wolf pack tried to cause trouble. The Sullivan Group, who Kingsley had contacted, had made it clear that they and their allies would rise against anyone that harmed the twins or the unborn children, and had suggested they would make sure that the other hybrids showed their support too.

The group had a late lunch together to seal the deal so to speak, and then Eames's family left the four alone until later. Three shortly, since Bruce opted to head out once he'd confirmed with Blake that he didn't need him to stick around just in case. The other hybrid intended to stay in Europe for the week should that change, looking up someone named Selina who was apparently hanging out in Florence. Apparently he wasn't expecting a very warm reception from the lady in question, the twins wishing him luck and reminding him to protect the family jewels.

Thanking them for the warning and Eames for his hospitality, Bruce was very polite and to the point as he got into his car to go.

"Protect them with your life or yours will be forfeit."

"Understood." Eames assured him as he watched the door close, Arthur beside him with Blake on the other side. Bracketing him in, protecting him on both sides. And that was definitely how it would stay.

Once Bruce's car was out of sight Blake headed for his own, popping open the truck and retrieving an ornately carved box from it. Ignoring the rest of his meager luggage, he believed in traveling light and would get it all later, Blake closed the trunk lid and returned to stand with the other two who'd been watching him with interest.

"What's in the box?" Eames asked, eyeing it curiously.

"Our argument kit." Arthur explained with a smile, his own, identical box back at his apartment. Blake always carried his with him, naturally. He'd been expecting this. "You'll see once we get inside and set up."

Eager to do precisely that Eames motioned for the twins to head for the house, Blake following his nose to the kitchen while telling Arthur to wait for him in the living room with Eames. He could explain things to the knocker-upper while he got the stuff ready.

Amused by his new title Eames followed Arthur into the correct room and as asked moved the coffee table so that it was further away from the couch, taking a seat beside his lover on the floor with their backs to the couch afterwards. "So…?"

"Bane described him as having henna tattoos on his body, right?" When Eames nodded Arthur continued. "That's what's in the box, his henna kit. We call it our argument box too because whenever we need to discuss something we disagree about we get out one of our two boxes and I draw the spider webs on his skin for him. He has to stay put and hold still you see, and it takes several hours to dry for proper, deep staining you want. We tend to be more productive when he has to stay put, though I had to do both arms and his torso the last time, when he wanted to go check out al Ghul's pack by himself."

"Check it out? Why?"

"Because they've remained so militaristic, and have been approaching hybrids from other packs about joining them for reasons they're being very secretive about in the last year. Of all the compounds they were the best treated and most loyal, the most thoroughly indoctrinated by our captors. They're also headed by a woman with decided psychopathic tendencies, so keeping an eye on them just makes sense. I didn't think actually approaching them to learn more was necessary, Blake disagreed."

"And that's when he and Bane met?"

The look on Arthur's face went rueful. "That was one of the main reasons he wanted to go and I wanted him to stay or send someone else. Your cousin is Blake's version of an all you can eat buffet after a year of fasting. He'd been eyeing him for years before that, but he couldn't justify making contact before."

"Mixing business with pleasure, then." Was all Eames could think to say to that mental imagery.

"Exactly. Which is why things will get ugly when they meet up again. There's no way around it."

"Got it."

Having mixed the proper ingredients together and put it in two different cones, just in case, Blake handed them over and then ditched his shirt, sitting down and setting first his shirt and then his right arm onto the table so that it stretched out across it for Arthur's marking.

Staying where he was Eames thought but didn't say that he'd been right to think that Blake had looked bulkier than Arthur. Now that the other man was shirtless he could see that this twin had made a more concrete effort to build up as much muscle as someone of his build could. Personally he found Arthur's more slender body appealing, but he could appreciate this version too. But he wouldn't, because that was a good way to end up dead and buried under his own porch.

So instead he turned his attention to what his lover was doing, Eames watching as his lover picked up one of the cones and leaning forward began to apply the black, toothpaste like substance to Blake's skin. "It's like you're icing him, sort of." He'd seen it done before, but only really in passing. He preferred the real thing, as his own body could attest to.

"Similar." Arthur agreed as he kept his eyes on what he was doing. He wasn't artistic by nature, that was more Blake's thing, but he'd done this enough times that he didn't have to think or worry about making a mistake.

"The original wolves are old and retired." Blake stated after a moment, diving straight in. "And expecting them and their natural children to stand against their own blood would be stupid and foolish. The majority of the other hybrids have chosen peaceful lives, they haven't kept up with the training. The wolves would slaughter them, especially knowing their weaknesses."

It went unsaid that the wolves wouldn't know, couldn't know unless it was absolutely necessary, that the remaining hybrids of Gotham would wipe out the wolves in retaliation if the Blake brothers were to be killed.

"You think SHE'S too insane to know that starting a hybrid war over you making a fool out of her would be the height of stupidity?" Arthur countered coolly. "However stupid Bane is otherwise he's a brilliant strategist, he would never be that blind to the possibilities and consequences. She listens to him, she has to or she wouldn't be in charge."

"And the babies are of his blood too." Eames added, hoping that he was allowed to argue too.

"If you think he won't kill you on her orders you need a reality check."

Not going to argue that point, especially since he didn't disagree that Bane was capable of killing him if he wanted to or felt it necessary, Eames instead argued that while he agreed with them about Talia being a vicious, untrustworthy psycho, did Blake really think she was stupid, because he didn't. Though not on Bane or Arthur's level, she was wicked smart and cunning from what he'd seen in the past.

"She's smart enough to go the route of assassination and soon Arthur's reflexes won't be what they were."

"And everyone will look to her and her pack to blame, even if it looks like an accident."

"You'd still be dead, and you know what will happen if I lose you."

Yes, yes he knew. He had kept his brother sane in the darkness, his twin devoting himself to the task of making sure he survived. If he died by foul means Blake would descend on his executioners like the Black Plague. And death would not be swift or merciful.

"I'll remain inside as much as possible, and I won't leave here without you or Eames with me." Knowing his brother well Arthur immediately reminded the other man that he wasn't like him, he could stand to remain indoors in small spaces for long periods of time without getting restless. And if the pregnancy continued at its present rate they only had to stay here for a little over two months.

)

What Blake wanted to do was kidnap Eames's mother and take her to an undisclosed area where she'd be expected to take care of Arthur until the babies were born and declared healthy enough not to require medical supervision. Return her to her family afterwards and that would be that. Unfortunately Arthur wouldn't allow him to do so, knowing they'd be depriving their fellow hybrids of the only doctor knowledgeable enough to take care of any problem that might arise. And Arthur would be determined to keep Eames in their lives from now on, and he couldn't see the Englishman or the man's family thinking of them kindly were he to steal a member of their pack. Plus he didn't fancy being hunted by the wolves and other hybrids before and after, even knowing they'd fail.

The fact that the resemblance between his brother's lover and Bane was a great deal more obvious up close just made him feel that much more inclined to be violent and get the hell out of the whole country too, Blake ruefully admitted, though only to himself.

"I'd help you get him out of here if I didn't think this was where he needs to be."

Eyes flickering over to Eames, such a softer and weaker version of Bane, Blake saw no point in stating the obvious when it came to this wolf's motives and abilities. The forger couldn't comprehend what the Great Bitch and her pack were capable of because he hadn't been born and raised in a compound. His twin's lover had no idea what their kind was capable of. Had in fact been created to do.

"They'll come as soon as they get word that we're here. To mark their territory and assert their dominance with intimidation and bloodshed."

"My godfather is Alpha here, they know that."

"She might play lip service to that, but I doubt she believes it." Blake countered with a knowing look in Eames's direction, there being no doubt in his mind that the Great Bitch saw Kingsley as a necessary evil until she could safely remove him and take over.

Lifting the cone up ever so slightly in case Blake jerked, Arthur's tone was conversational as he expressed surprise that Blake thought so little of himself. He would have thought him more confident in his abilities to keep them safe from a bunch of dumb dogs.

"You've been hanging around egotistical morons like Cobb for too long." The look Blake gave Arthur made it clear that he wasn't going to fall into that obvious a trap. "Even the smartest, strongest, and most cunning can be brought low and made fortune's bitch. That's life."

"My mum-"

"Could be made to cooperate even if she initially refused to help those responsible for Arthur's death in retaliation." Blake interjected. "I agree that she's a powerful ally to have, but that only goes so far."

"I'd kill anyone who fuckin dared put their hands on her."

"I'm assuming you'd be dead at that point, actually. Along with your father and Kingsley."

"Oh."

Knowing that Eames would do better with something to do Arthur decided to take advantage of the fact that Blake had filled two cones and asked the forger if he'd like to work on Blake's other arm. He knew that the man often doodled when he needed to clear his head or think something out, and it wasn't like spider webs were all that difficult. If necessary he could fix any mistakes or Blake could just wash it off before it really set.

"Me?" Surprised out of his morbid, stomach turning thoughts, Eames looked back and forth between the twins in question.

"Go ahead, if you think you can." He had worse things to worry about than his brother's boyfriend's tattooing abilities. Though now that he thought about it... "You have tattoos, and so does your father. Why doesn't Bane?" He liked a man with real ink in his skin, not that Bane stood a chance with him now. That ship had not only sailed, it was at the bottom of the fucking ocean as far as he was concerned.

Having gotten to his feet Eames carefully came around the table as he spoke, sensing that Arthur was up to something. "It's never come up, really. I suppose he's not really the type. You don't have lasting ones because they're identifying marks, right?" With Bane that wouldn't matter, Eames silently acknowledged as he sat back down, thanks to the mask his cousin had to wear. Plus there just weren't that many men in the world that looked like Bane anyway.

"That and I had enough needles jabbed into my skin when I was younger." Hence the method Arthur was using to apply the dye as well.

Nodding that that made sense, he wasn't about to say he understood because how could he, Eames went to work making a tree branch to anchor the future web to, figuring to practice with some relatives straight lines before he tried to get remotely fancy. "Do you ever do anything besides webs?"

Blake would have shrugged if stillness wasn't key. "Occasionally. I got the creative genes so his repertoire is limited."

"So that's where those genes went."

"Oh bite me, Eames."

"I have, Darling, repeatedly. You being up the duff is proof of that."

"Up the duff?" Arthur repeated, sure that the man had to be making that up. "I'm looking that up afterwards."

"I'm making YOU look up a word? My life is now complete. Darling, thank you."

Laughing in spite of himself, Arthur rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to what he was doing, his dimples showing as he mentally congratulated himself for manipulating them both into softer topics.

)

Taking in the space he'd been given hours later, Blake had to admit that while Eames might not be as sexy as his cousin, the man had one very boss attic. He friggin loved it. The people who had made this house had really known what they were doing. It was a lost art really, building a house that was not only original and reflected its owners, but came with an attic that had space and was more than just an extra storage room. The beauty of this one almost made up for the fact that he had gotten both arms and back tattooed and they still weren't done arguing about staying here.

Since he was choosing to be philosophical about that for the moment Blake rolled his shoulders in anticipation of some serious web spinning, it had been far too long. But before he could start the sound of his cell phone going off reached his ears, signaling that Beta was calling.

Retrieving the phone Blake brought it to his ear, his conversation with his business partner and second in command short and to the point. She'd been monitoring the Great Bitch's pack's activities, and had confirmation that arrangements had just been made that would have them in the air and on their way to England in approximately two and a half hours. Someone had tipped them off, she could find out who if it mattered.

"Find out and save the data. Time will tell if it matters."

"Do you need us?"

He hoped not, Blake thought as he told her no and to keep him abreast of anything else he might need to know. Arthur had sent out a highly encoded message to all their 'pack' members so they knew what was going on and that they might be called in to put some dogs down. They didn't get together often, cats to the bone that way, but for this they'd gather and work together as assassins with only one mission.

Eliminate any and all threats to one of their own.

The call lasted a few more minutes and then they ended it, Blake sending a quick text to his brother to let him know what their second had just passed on to him. Once he got a 'message received response' from Arthur Blake started to turn off the phone and put it away, hesitating as he studied it, pondering the thought that had just entered his head.

Tossing the cell back and forth between his hands as he paced, Blake mentally argued with himself as he considered the pros and cons to what he was considering. But in the end he accessed his contacts list to click on the number he'd saved in spite of himself, listening to the dial tone as it seemed to vibrate in his ear.

Then the voice he'd tried so hard to forget came, ruffling the fur he didn't actually have. "Blake?"

"I know you're coming. And just so we're clear, Bane, if you and your little mutts intend to cause trouble for me or mine-well-I can guarantee that you won't like what I'll be shoving up your ass this time around."


End file.
