#even all of their jabs can feel as a mix of putting up appearances (Cobb believed they broke up too)

[valerileygreen]

Regarding this post about 2 double tennis players who broke up and then went on to play and win together...

It is SO Arthur and Eames!!! And maybe not just in a tennis au but also in the canon universe.

Like, I can so see them breaking up when Cobb had to flee and Arthur decided it was better for everyone if he followed him, not out of great disagreements or big fights and hurt feelings, because Eames agreed Cobb was too dangerous for himself and others to be left alone, but purely for practical reasons. For Arthur to have one less weight on his shoulders (more or less) and be able to concentrate on the task at hand (he kept an eye on Eames anyway of course, it's his job), and to protect Eames from being used as leverage against Arthur while also allowing him more freeway to act on the side to smooth over any messes while looking less suspicious (come on, he was 'coincidentally' in Cobol's backyard after that mess of a job), because what bitter person would help out his asshole ex?

Neither of them like it really, and Eames resents Cobb for forcing their hand this way even though he doesn’t even know about the ruse, but they're too careful and calculating to not take every precaution they could think of while also do what ought to be done. It was the lesser of 2 evils in the rush of the moment.