crossoverfic | Fic: Inner State (Inception/The State Within) (Reply)

Title: Inner State
Fandom: The State Within, Inception (knowledge of both fandoms not required)
Rating: NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Eames, Nicholas Brocklehurst/Mark Brydon, Mark Brydon/Jane Lavery, Nicholas Brocklehurst/Eames
Word Count: 122, 812!

Summary: Eames had always known that there were only two ways to leave the special forces: death and treason (and even those weren't guaranteed). So far he'd avoided both and planned to keep it that way. Which was how he'd found himself back in Blighty with a government commission to militarise a member of Her Majesty's Opposition. The pay was shit (accommodations and living expenses provided) but came with promises of continued 'looking in the other direction' as far as some of his less legitimate activities were concerned. And it was one MP - how hard could it be?

Sir Mark Brydon hadn't thought his move from diplomacy to politics would turn out like this: an amazing wife, an adopted son and a constituency that didn't seem to hate him. At least not personally. A nice change from being neck deep in one of the worst government conspiracies for years. That was before the meeting with the serious looking men with serious looking paperwork for him to sign. Welcome to lucid dreaming, bureaucrat style.

This is a story about the past and the future. About truth, loyalty and morality - and lack thereof. About dreams and reality. But mostly it is a story about four men, six months and an anonymous office room.

Warnings: This story contains some disturbing themes e.g. reference to canonical character death, reference to war crimes, discussion of consent issues in lucid dreaming and some scenes which some people may interpret as dubcon.

Notes: Written for

inception_bang. Many thanks to

moth2fic for help with betaing and to everyone else who has looked at early drafts, given me encouragement or brought me tea and put up with me writing at every hour of the day.

Link to story: @AO3