Crushing Hearts (Mature content [might turn out to be 18+] and TW) (Moved) (1/1)

….Perfect….

Arthur nodded sympathetically and slid his hand towards Cyrin, though he didn't touch him outright this time. "I'm sorry, buddy… have you all sought professional help on this? I know it's only been a day, but… you don't want something to happen to her because she hesitated to get help."

"…It's ok to be worried, Cyrin. And it's ok to try to help her yourself. If you two are alike, you might be the one who knows how to get through to her." Arthur said gently.

And if you fail, it will be so much more rewarding…

Arthur kept nodding, sympathetically. "That's difficult, but… you've got to try, man. Same way she's blaming herself now, you'd likely blame yourself if something happened to her."
Maybe not, but if it was suggested to him… perhaps.

Arthur nodded. "I get that… besides dancing, what do you like to do to relax?" He finished up his food and waved down the waiter for a box for Cyrin and the check for himself.

" You have no other hobbies at all?" Arthur asked gently.
Internally, he was banging his head against a wall. Dumb AND one dimensional, can I pick 'em, or can I pick 'em?

Arthur beamed at him. "See, there's a person! You're not just some dancing automoton, there's a personality in there." He winked at Arthur as they stood to head out.
"Listen… lets get your mind off this for a bit. Let you not think about anything, like you said. Just for a little while." His voice turned a bit more gentle than playful. "We could head back to my place? I've got a huge TV, we could watch a movie or play some video games. Or… there's that art gallery over in Brixton." The next city over was a bit bigger, and only a half hour away. "We could go walk through that, if you want."

Arthur smiled at him as he walked through the door. "Back to my place it is, then!" He'd driven down here, and there was a flashy car parked in the parking lot. "You're driving with me, right?"
Little steps.

"Exactly!" Arthur opens the passenger door for him, before going around and climbing into the driver's seat. "It's a decent walk from here anyway, though it's only a couple minutes drive."

Arthur put on some quiet music, and they made the couple of minutes just fine. He pulled into his spot in the parking garage and locked his gate, and they headed up into the lobby and onto the elevator.

This time, they went to the top floor, and there was only one door, and a janitor's closet. Arthur grinned at Cyrin.
"I'm curious, what do you think my domicile looks like?"

Arthur nods. "You're close. I don't know what you'll think of this." He opened the door, heavy solid oak, and they stepped into the apartment.
Black walls. Red trim and accents. Red carpet.
Definitely a particular vibe going on here.
The door opened into a small antechamber, kinda like a coat room. Arthur had a neat shoe rack there, with multiple kinds of shoes on it. He also had various jackets, and even what looked like a cloak, hanging in the closet.
They stepped through, and they were in his living room. It was huge, with massive couches. They filled most of the floor space of the living room, and were all oriented to face a huge screen. Easily 20'x20', the screen took up a good portion of the far wall. Big speakers were mounted in various places along the wall and behind the couches, providing an obvious surround-sound experience.
It was all done in that same red-and-black vibe.

Arthur laughs. "Well, luckily you don't have to like this one. Now, movie or video games?" He indicates the shelving below the screen, where there are multiple game systems and games, as well as streaming devices. "I've got access to all the major movie sites, so. Whatever you want."

Arthur quirked an eyebrow at him. "Why do I-… because I'm not making your decisions for you, buddy. You're an adult, you have your own likes and dislikes. Just pick something, there are no stakes. This doesn't have to be hard. I'm not going to dislike any option you pick." He turned and rested his hands on Cyrin's shoulders, looking up into his eyes.
"This is a safe space. You're safe here, with me, really wherever we are. By that, I mean that you can just choose what you like, without having to worry about other people." He let go and stepped into the room.
"You've been worrying about other people your entire life. Worry about what you like when you're with me."

…Hmm…

Arthur tipped his head sideways, giving Cyrin a gentle look. He stepped back into Cyrin's proximity, tilting the taller guy's head up by nudging his chin gently, until he was looking Arthur in the eyes.

"You're sure you'd rather have me tell you what to do?" His voice was soft, gentle, on the verge of tenderness. "Cuz I can do that… I can help you not be overwhelmed."
The moment was intentionally charged, and he hoped Cyrin would lean into it, but he wasn't sure.

Arthur's face slowly slid into a smile, and he held Cyrin's eye contact. "…Ok then." He let go, and turned to walk back into the room, and the closeness of the moment was broken, though it lingered for just a second, like an aroma after a candle has been blown out.
"I'm thinking a movie. Do you like animated stuff? Cuz I do, and I think you'd really like this one movie… gotta see if I can find it." He turned on the screen, using a small tablet to navigate the streaming platforms and search for this show. "C'mere, sit down." He smiled over his shoulder at Cyrin, beckoning him to the huge couch.

Arthur found it, and the cover pic was of a boy and girl, dancing while dressed in outlandish clothes, surrounded by folks in very formal clothes.
"There it is! [Insert Title Here!]" He turned his head and smiled, his face close to Cyrin's for a moment.
"You like dancing, right? This one's got a lot of it. Thought you might enjoy that, or at least we'd get some good conversation out of it if it's all animated wrong. You could tell me why." He grinned, before heading towards the kitchen.
"Want some popcorn? I'm making some for me regardless."