Inception Fic AUs (updated 5/8/15)
So the truth of the matter is, I’m especially obsessed with all the AUs in this fandom. Because there’s so little canon, the AUs are an endless delight and revelation.
This list is by no means complete. I’ll keep adding to it–adding fics, adding categories, incorporating more descriptions and quotes–as time goes on. Your suggestions, as always, are much appreciated. Truly. :-)
Fics added on 5/8/15 are marked with a *** (Just in case you’ve seen this list before and are skimming for the new stuff.)
Breath Into It, rageprufrock. The Yoga AU. "Eames is fit and he fucking knows it, but apparently his long years of running the stress out of his body and pick-up games of football have done nothing for his flexibility. When Arthur says — voice light — in the front of the room, that everyone should just fold themselves over in uttanasana, the shock of pain and his back’s total boycott of participation is remarkable. "Translation, Mr. Eames: touch your toes,“ Arthur murmurs, a smile in his voice. "Yes, I’m doing that,” Eames snipes in reply, and doesn’t dare turn his head, because staring directly at the ground and making his fingertips brush the sticky-rubber mat Alicia had lent him is extremely taxing, and he doesn’t think he can manage doing both that and staring at Arthur’s knees.“
Fixer-Upper, earlgreytea68. “Have you ever seen "Love It or List It”? In which Arthur is the real estate agent and Eames is the designer.”
Next Big Thing, earlgreytea68. The sequel to Fixer-Upper.
Rough Trade, whisky runner. Arthur is an investment banker with a lot of internalized homophobia; Eames is a one-night stand that turns into more.
Wingman Verse, whiskyrunner. (P13 - NC17) A series of four fics (start with Wingman) inspired by this prompt: “Arthur has a morning jog every day and recently something has appeared to ruin his routine which would be Eames and his dog who seems to like Arthur as much as Eames does. Cue Eames trying to get Arthur to see him outside of his ‘daily routine’ and getting treated like a weirdo. Would love to see a make out scene in the mud (yup…mud, sorry…) and you’d make my day if they went back and actually had sex at home (on the living room floor, in the shower whatever you like!)”
Mr. Eames and Mr. Eames, jibrailis. The Mail Order Bride AU.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, pyrimidine. The No Sad, Big Smile Happy Break-Up Service AU.
(Non) Compos Mentis Hora Smoni, aimlesstravels. Psych Ward AU.
Still Life and Street, trojie. “Arthur is a hacker. One night he finds a stranger in his bathroom who says he has a proposition for him.”
Your song. “Arthur is a shameless whore and Eames is fresh meat.”
***Spin!, weatherfront. “Political crisis managers AU. Arthur and Eames are operatives for rival presidential campaigns in a heated Democratic primary. Can they find love and happiness in spite of all the pies, Republicans, and publicity disasters in their way? Even in the face of the dreaded ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM? I DON’T KNOW! LET’S FIND OUT!”
Art-Artist-Actor-Musician-Writer AUs
Steinway!verse. toomuchplor. "The alternate universe where Arthur’s a pianist and Eames is a lyric baritone and their love is so lieder, omg.“ This verse has absolutely burrowed into my brain. It started out so light and fluffy and the OH MY GOD I GOT SO INVESTED: long-distance relationships and an eventual happy ending. Also, I’m completely charmed by this Mal.
Provenance, rageprufrock. Art world AU.
***The Greedyhearts, weatherfront. “Eames is a high-end thief. Arthur is a private investigator hired to catch him.”
***Grew up fast, grew up mean, cesearbeau. “Arthur glances over his shoulder, and the light reflects off the sharp line of his nose, the curve of his cheek. He looks like one of the boys Eames used to see on street corners, curled up in old men’s laps in clubs; the kind of boy his ma always told him to stay away from.”
Amuse-Bouche, bauble. Rock star Eames AU. Thanks to EGT for this rec.
Sign Here, annejumps. Art dealer!Arthur / delivery-man!Eames
Long Shot, laceymcbain. Actor!Eames, assassin!Arthur
Lead and Follow, annejumps. dance-instructor!Arthur
Incipit, thehoyden. Author!Eames / editor!Arthur. A not-too-spoiler-y line from one of my favorite parts: “"Arthur,” Eames says sharply, and then more gently, “You’re the best editor anyone could ask for, but not even your eye catches everything.”“
Early Returns, rageprufrock. The newspaper AU. Arthur is a copyeditor; Eames is a photojournalist. Election returns make for a late night. ”Stabbing at his keyboard, Arthur wishes desperately someone would file some God damn copy, so at least he could have an excuse to sit here and ignore Eames, who in probably ten, nine, eight, seven…is going to point out that the edit queue is empty as Arthur’s savings account and ask him if he wants to go for coffee and frottage in the break room.”
***Breaking News, involuntaryorange. “ Arthur is a damn good news anchor. The weatherman, Eames, is the thorn in his side. ”
We Were Once Cinema Gods, gyzym. The Hollywood AU. Producer!Arthur and Actor!Eames. God, the backstory on these two. Oh my heart.
Late Night Phone Call, sparkledark. The Sleep Line AU (where Arthur is a writer). Oh my god! One of my absolute favorites. I adore the ending.
Back in Black, laiqualaurelote. “Three years after rock legend The Kick broke up, frontman Dom Cobb wants to get the band back together. New manager Saito has found replacement drummer Yusuf and fresh new lyricist Ariadne, but there’s still a lot that guitarist Arthur and bassist Eames need to - and won’t - talk about. Still, it’s a long way to the top (if you want to rock n’ roll).” Contains a pretty epic scene with Arthur as Rock God.
I’ve Got a Rock N Roll Life, osaki_nana_007. “AU. Arthur is a concert violinist at a prestigious arts college. His best (and only) friend Ariadne convinces him to come with her to a rock concert, aka his worst nightmare. He does seem to be quite taken with the charismatic lead guitarist though… or rather, the guitarist seems to be quite taken by him.”
***I’m Going to Pull Time Apart For You, sweetbutterbliss. “At first it had been kind of novel, Eames had been pleased when people approached to ask for Arthur’s attention. That was his boyfriend and people wanted him, but only Eames had him. He’d stand off to the side grinning and admiring how Arthur handled people. He said yes to all of their pictures and autographs, saying no, no. thank you. He’d hug them extra hard when they said his music saved their life and Eames was so proud he could burst. But it got old very very fast.” Professor Eames / Rockstar Arthur
Skin Deep, starlingthefool. Tattoo shop AU.
My True Love’s Hair, sweetbutterbliss. Arthur needs a haircut. Eames works in a salon.
Patron of the Arts, sweetbutterbliss. Artist!Eames.
You Better Werk, sweetbutterbliss. model!Arthur / designer!Eames
I Bet Nureyev Never Had to Deal with this Shit, cobweb_diamond. Modern-day AU. Arthur is a ballet dancer recovering from a serious injury, and is lucky enough to land the role of Oberon in Dom Cobb’s reimagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The Rebel French, primavera. Ex-cop!Arthur. Arthur, a cop, is shot during an art heist. He moves to Paris to work for Saito, determined to catch the thieves who shot him. He meets Eames. It’s sexy and angsty and WOW.
Cooking-Baking-Foodie AUs
I’ve Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York), gyzym. It’s THE coffee-shop AU. It’s got the highest kudo count in the Inception fandom on ao3. And quite right too, in my opinion. Arthur’s a miserable lawyer, Eames is the barista across the street. The first five paragraphs are a tour de force. And the rest of the fic is delightful.
Waiting On, the hoyden. The Diner AU. Eames owns a diner, Arthur’s a regular.
You’re the Sugar to My High, scribblescrabbl. Bakery AU. I grinned and grinned and grinned my way through this fic.
Sweeter Than Honey, annejumps. The Honey AU.
Tell Me You Didn’t Put The Veal Down Your Pants, temperance-k. "Eames is a wonderful cook, yes, but he is horrible at spelling things correctly on his menus, let alone describing them. (His latest culinary masterpiece is called “taste’s realy goood.”) So he hires a proofreader, who turns out to be the infamously-uptight and critical Arthur.“
A Piece of the Plate (Got Stuck in My Heart), jibailis. Iron Chef AU. Cracktastic elements.
Peanut Butter & Fixed Term Five Year Plans, andrealyn. Accountant!Arthur / baker!Eames.
Eames on food, duckgirlie “Arthur is a massive food network fan, and Eames is their newest superstar.”
Sexworker / Porn Industry / Escort / Massage AUs
The Escort, white_aster. Arthur’s a high-class escort. Eames likes that.
Paper Things, snookiescookies. The Pretty Woman AU. (Take note: it’s a WIP.)
Happy Endings, the_ragnarok. Full-service massuse!Arthur / customer Eames.
***Rubbed the Right Way, Lenore. “Arthur is a massage therapist. Eames is his number one client—okay, stalker.”
One for the Money, whiskeyrunner. Porn Industry oneshot. I CAN’T BELIEVE I DIDN’T HAVE THIS ON THIS LIST BEFORE BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVS. Is it wrong that I find this porn industry fic so sweet?
You Set the Scene, cherryvanilla. Another porn industry AU. (WHY ARE ALL THE PORN AUS SO SWEET?! IS THAT A THING IN THIS FANDOM?! WHATEVER THE REASON, I LOVE IT.)
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Ylith. “Arthur is a down on his luck teacher working as a stripper to pay the bills. Eames was just released from prison on a last chance warning, and trying to live on the straight and narrow for the first time ever.” The author’s posted 19 chapters between May and October, so it seems to be humming along. I haven’t noticed a regular posting schedule, but maybe I haven’t been following it long enough to recognize the pattern. The author’s done such a fine job of building the tension in the story that I’ve actually stopped a bit before Chapter 19 because I know myself well enough (as a reader of WIPs) to know that I should wait for a few more chapters to post so I can tear through the rising tension; I mean that as 100% compliment to the author.
Pavlov’s Bell, whiskyrunner. The werekittens AU.
Killing Kittens for the Greater Good, saintdogstreet. The Sperm Bank AU.
Believe Me If You Can, gyzym. Winnie the Pooh AU.
***For the sake of a few good felines, Nellie. “Eames is a space fighter pilot in a war against an encroaching vampire force. He accidentally discovers the secret facility where the vampires breed their feline super soldiers.”
And so the feeling grows, duckiegirlie. Four Weddings AU.
Left and Leaving, pyrimidine. Time Traveler’s Wife AU.
I Seem To Be A Verb, Aja. Notting Hill AU. Now complete. And AMAZING. READ THIS RIGHT AWAY. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT $200. DO READ THIS AND FEEL RAPTURES OF JOY AND FEELS AND OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS FIC.
A Kissing Book (That Doesn’t Sound Too Bad), VIII_XIII. “The thing that a great many people don’t understand about true love is that it doesn’t announce itself with fanfare, and it doesn’t happen all at once. True love takes root in the crevices in a person’s being, a creeping thing that breaks two people apart and knits those pieces together again to make something stronger than the sum of its parts. Adventure, intrigue, pirates, mercenaries, attempted murder, unspeakable grief, happy endings. A Princess Bride AU.” I have no words for how much I loved this fic.
The Running Play, whiskyrunner. The football AU. Whiskyrunner has moved a quite a few of their tics to a03, but for whatever reason, this one’s not there yet. It’s a long series, and Arthur suffers some pretty horrible abuse at the start and carries a lot of damange throughout the series—but it all ends happily (there are multiple fics in this verse beyond The Running Play).
Trouble with Dreams, sparkledark. Psych Prof!Eames / student!Arthur.
La Vie de Famille, lenore. Babysitter!Arthur, single-dad!Eames.
Hope I’m In Your Thoughts Next Time You Log In, fadedhues. College radio show AU.
Imprints Itself, rasyya. College professor Arthur / student Eames (but not currently his student).
Just a Boy, renne. College professor Eames / smitten student Arthur.
The University AU, halfhardtorock. The college roommate crush AU.
You Belong on the West Coast, Donatello. Music school AU.
Trivium, fourfreedoms. TA!Arthur / student!Eames
Action Painting, tessykins. Arthur’s friends are convinced he doesn’t have enough fun and talk him into attending the DayGlow party at a local club. While trying to blend in at the bar, Arthur sees the hot TA–Eames–that he had a crush on the previous semester walking toward him, his bare torso already smeared with body paint.
You’re Waiting for a Stranger, mixtapestar. In which they meet on Omegle.
This is Why We Don’t Like Black Widow, shellhead. Comic books, love triangles, and lots of pining. I really loved this one.
Hazy Days, onewhositswithturtles. “Arthur and Eames are paired up in a hazing experience neither of them wanted, and things go unexpected awry.”
Tap Out or Pass Out, vaincs. Self-defense instructor!Arthur / student!Eames
***The University AU, halfhardtorock. “He looks over his shoulder at Eames, who is rolled over onto his side, broad back to Arthur. Even with just the hall light coming in under the door, Arthur can see the dark shadow of tattoos on Eames’s shoulder.”
High School - College AUs
You’re Impossible, averysubtleart. “Or, the one where it’s a high school to college/university phase and falling in love happens with coffee.”
Underneath the Sheets (Killing ME), lolahardy. When Arthur and Eames were young, they were best friends. Arthur made the mistake of falling for him but never said anything. By the time they reached high school, they were no longer friends.
Pet, LadyVader. Arthur’s a high school student: a runner and clever and a bit too independent for his own good. Eames is the new English / drama teacher. As the Police say, sometimes it’s not so easy to be the teacher’s pet.
Rule Ten, skellerbvvt. dom!Arthur / sub!Eames. Also, underage!Eames (though the fic gets around that somewhat.) Okay, so here’s the thing: this fic is written on LJ in the comments. It’s about 193 comments long. Plus there are over 4000 additional comments of people squeezing and writing fics on the fics (in alternate povs, looking toward the future, creating backstory, etc.), sometimes three or four tics deep in a single comment. It’s crazy and wonderful and a pretty unique reading experience. (Be warned: if you find it hard to ignore typos, this may not be the fic for you.)
All Shook Up, annejumps. Greaser AU
Simple Math, foxxcub. The Fake Boyfriend High School AU.
This Fumble Has Become Biblical, imogenedisease. Arthur is in high school. Eames is, umm, not. AKA, the Jail Bait AU. (There are a series of fics here, and I didn’t expect where it was headed.)
Full Nelson, pyrimidine. Wrestler!Eames/Journalist!Arthur high school AU
Where Are You Going with My Heart, kyrene. The high school stepbrother AU.
Baby’s On Fire, five_ht. “Arthur is a 16-year-old with a fake ID. Eames is much older, and of questionable morals.” Underage, pwp-ish.
A Spoopy Schmoop, sweetbutterbliss. A high school Halloween story.
HS Roll the Dice, the_ragnarok. In which Eames is their best player, Arthur is dense, Ariadne has a funny hat, Dom always runs the game and Mal wants to play free-form. (Or, the one where they’re all in a roleplaying group together in highschool.)
***Let Not My Love Be Called Idolotry, toomuchplor. “Arthur breaks all the rules of American high school films, as though he’s never even heard of John Hughes, and Eames can’t decide if, given the choice, he wouldn’t rather just become Arthur instead of having the chance to be with him. A high school AU wherein Eames is a shy sweet nervous drama geek and Arthur is the confident popular gorgeous student council president; and lo, there is much pining and awkwardness and, eventually, kissing.”
His Lordship Makes a Match, jibrailis. “Regency AU! Eames is an Earl and Arthur is his long-suffering valet.”
Lay Your Siege, gyzym. The Trojan War AU.
Confinement, lolahardy. “Arthur is a solitary rancher in the middle of nowhere Kansas. One day, a stranger wanders onto his land and he’s suddenly not so alone.”
A Shot Across the Bows, five_ht. Pirate AU. “Pirate AU wherein Eames is the first mate, and Arthur is the disgruntled captive cabin boy turned highly competent ship’s medic (still disgruntled).”
Patience, and a Steady Hand, helenish. The Viking Slave AU. "821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.”
A fool from any direction, syllic. “Written for this prompt: “Eames is a knight, and Arthur is a stable boy. Eames brings him little tokens from his quests and Arthur reverently removes his armor and lets Eames press him down sweetly into the hay"”
***Pistols at Penrose Hall, immoral_crow, johanirae. “Regency AU, in which My Lord Eames yearns for something to counter the ennui of his life. When he is held up by a masked highwayman, he finds himself embroiled in intrigue, espionage, and murder, where an evil mastermind will stop at nothing to achieve his plans. Can Eames untangle the truth, right wrongs, and find love on the way? Featuring duels, masked balls, cross dressing, and sex in surprising locations.”
Cop-Firefighter-Military Service AUs
I can’t extinguish this fire, though I’ve tried, a pretty away. firefighter!Eames.
A+E, annejumps, paramedic!Arthur
A number of firsts, melonbutterfly. DADT repeal AU “Arthur wins the raffle for the traditional "first kiss”; the first sailor off the ship who gets to kiss his significant other. Of course all of Eames’ colleagues decide they need to be there as well; it’s possible (not really) they’re more excited about it than Eames. All Eames cares about is finally getting his boyfriend back.”
The Rebel French, primavera. Ex-cop!Arthur. Arthur, a cop, is shot during an art heist. He moves to Paris to work for Saito, determined to catch the thieves who shot him. He meets Eames. It’s sexy and angsty and WOW.
La Vie de Famille, lenore. Babysitter!Arthur, single-dad!Eames.
Pavlov’s Bell, whiskyrunner. The werekittens AU.
Nearly Home, toomuchplor / xenakis. Arthur and Eames are on the verge of giving up mind crime when Cobb convinces Arthur to be his point man on one last job — which rather inevitably goes wrong. Eames is pulled into the mess as Cobb’s simple heist spirals into an attempt on inception. It’s time to stop trespassing on the dreams of others; building a home takes two sets of hands.
Et les mots croises, toomuchplor. Eamespreg / kidfic.
The Inescapable Charm of the Countdown, amazingly-me.
I’ve Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York), gyzym. Arthur’s a miserable lawyer, Eames is the barista across the street. (Mostly this is known as the coffee shop AU, but it’s a lawyer AU as well.) The first five paragraphs are a tour de force. And the rest of the fic is delightful.
A Crystal-Clear Canvas, involuntaryorange. “Arthur is a lawyer. Eames washes his windows. That isn’t a euphemism.”
The Running Play, whiskyrunner. The football AU. Whiskyrunner has moved a quite a few of their tics to a03, but for whatever reason, this one’s not there yet. It’s a long series, and Arthur suffers some pretty horrible abuse at the start and carries a lot of damange throughout the series—but it all ends happily (there are multiple fics in this verse beyond The Running Play).
You can find more links and recs at my larger Inception: A Guide for Beginners post.
baratheonpilled
blakekathryn
andulkaphoto
theartofmadeline
prguitarman
origamiaround
jbbartram-illu
