Arthur takes another moment before he starts speaking, glancing at Eames and then down at a point on the floor behind Eames to make it easier.
"I'm not completely oblivious to my own feelings, okay? I can't control them but I know what's going on in my own head and I don't need you to tell me. I haven't talked to you about it because I didn't think you needed to know and I like the way things are right now. I don't want anything to change."
He looks back up at Eames just to check whether he's still on board, still understanding.
"Whatever you sensed me feeling, whether it was more or it was different than what you thought it would be, you have to trust that I'm handling it. If I wanted something from you and I wasn't telling you I wanted it or preparing for the possibility that you might not feel the same, that would be on me. I know that. You don't have to tell me that you're capable of hurting my feelings because I already know that and I know how to handle it if that ever happens."
He looks down at his coffee again, sighing. "I don't know how long it's going to take for you to get this under control. I don't want this to happen again and I really hope you'll try, but in case it does, I need to know that you won't assume my expectations are any higher than what I say out loud."
Finally he looks back up at Eames, letting the silence indicate that he's ready for Eames to talk.
no subject
"I'm not completely oblivious to my own feelings, okay? I can't control them but I know what's going on in my own head and I don't need you to tell me. I haven't talked to you about it because I didn't think you needed to know and I like the way things are right now. I don't want anything to change."
He looks back up at Eames just to check whether he's still on board, still understanding.
"Whatever you sensed me feeling, whether it was more or it was different than what you thought it would be, you have to trust that I'm handling it. If I wanted something from you and I wasn't telling you I wanted it or preparing for the possibility that you might not feel the same, that would be on me. I know that. You don't have to tell me that you're capable of hurting my feelings because I already know that and I know how to handle it if that ever happens."
He looks down at his coffee again, sighing. "I don't know how long it's going to take for you to get this under control. I don't want this to happen again and I really hope you'll try, but in case it does, I need to know that you won't assume my expectations are any higher than what I say out loud."
Finally he looks back up at Eames, letting the silence indicate that he's ready for Eames to talk.