Hartley touching Cisco's hand isn't about ensuring his agreement, especially since he's still not sure any of this is a good idea. But he got caught in the moment, and right now all he wants to do is feel Cisco's hand beneath his own. And maybe to kiss him (though that should probably at least wait until after their meal). He's unaccustomed to anyone having this much trust and faith in him and the way Cisco is making him feel right now is indescribable.
"It was partially self-preservation," he said. But helping team Flash hadn't just been about self-preservation. If that had been his top priority, he would have simply found a way to escape during the chaos caused by the time wraith or, once that had passed, withheld the information on Ronnie until one of them (probably Cisco, let's be real) let him out. Both of which had been tempting at the time, but he had gone after team Flash for a reason. Something needed to be done about Harrison, and he knew if he helped them, eventually one of them would start listening to him. And after a while, it became more than that. He began to enjoy helping them. "But it wasn't just that. After a while I accepted that you, Barry and Caitlin weren't as bad as I thought you were, and I couldn't justify letting any of you get hurt after that."
He gives Cisco's hand a light squeeze, once again barely resisting the temptation to lean in and kiss him as he holds his gaze. "The last thing I want is to hurt you." He's still not sure if he should agree to this, but Cisco is surprisingly convincing. Hartley would probably say no if Cisco hadn't reminded him that he too is a scientist and assured him of his trust. Perhaps now it's time to return that trust. "I'll make you a deal. Later, if you want, you can watch me test it out on something else, something non-human." Rats might work. Not his rats, of course, but there are plenty of other rodents in the alley behind his apartment. "And if you still want to give this a try after that, we can. But I want you to have time to think about it."
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2016-07-14 05:01 am (UTC)"It was partially self-preservation," he said.
But helping team Flash hadn't just been about self-preservation. If that had been his top priority, he would have simply found a way to escape during the chaos caused by the time wraith or, once that had passed, withheld the information on Ronnie until one of them (probably Cisco, let's be real) let him out. Both of which had been tempting at the time, but he had gone after team Flash for a reason. Something needed to be done about Harrison, and he knew if he helped them, eventually one of them would start listening to him. And after a while, it became more than that. He began to enjoy helping them. "But it wasn't just that. After a while I accepted that you, Barry and Caitlin weren't as bad as I thought you were, and I couldn't justify letting any of you get hurt after that."
He gives Cisco's hand a light squeeze, once again barely resisting the temptation to lean in and kiss him as he holds his gaze. "The last thing I want is to hurt you." He's still not sure if he should agree to this, but Cisco is surprisingly convincing. Hartley would probably say no if Cisco hadn't reminded him that he too is a scientist and assured him of his trust. Perhaps now it's time to return that trust. "I'll make you a deal. Later, if you want, you can watch me test it out on something else, something non-human." Rats might work. Not his rats, of course, but there are plenty of other rodents in the alley behind his apartment. "And if you still want to give this a try after that, we can. But I want you to have time to think about it."