"Great," he says. "Let me know when you want to go to the shelter and I'll take you. You might want to get your place ready first though," he points out. "But I can help with that if you want." He's never had a dog, but he knows how to pet-proof a home, and he'd like to help in any way Cisco will let him.
Hartley feels a warm burst of affection for Cisco when he realizes that he's not only factoring him into the decision of what dog to get, but that he's factoring his rats in too. Cisco must be really serious about wanting to make this work, because while many of the other men Hartley's dated have been pet people, very few of them had been able to tolerate his rats. But Cisco's not like any other man Hartley's dated. Cisco's not like anyone Hartley's ever met before. Maybe that's why this works. "I'm sure if the rats and I spend enough time with your dog, it won't take long for us to befriend it," he says, hoping he will indeed be spending enough time around Cisco and his dog for that to happen.
Maybe they're rushing into this, but something about this feels right. Like this is where they could have been a long time ago if they hadn't wasted so many years hating each other. But he can't bring himself to regret those years, despite how bitter and antagonistic their relationship had been. They still somehow managed to reach this point, and he thinks that might be what matters. All of that history, the good and the awful, brought them to this moment, holding hands and contemplating a future together. As wary and unsure as he'd been this morning, he knows now that he wants this. He wants hand holding, talking, making plans together, and he wants so much more. He wants a relationship. He wants Cisco. And now he knows Cisco wants him too.
Hartley's food sits there, completely forgotten as he listens to Cisco. It's impossible to take his eyes off him right now. It's impossible to think of anything but how much he wishes they were alone for this, so they could finally kiss. This is not how he expected this date to go at all. It almost feels like a dream. But it turns out reality is so much better than anything his subconscious could have come up with. "I'd like that," he says once he finds his voice. "I mean, you already know things about me no one else does, and I'm helping you get a dog. That feels like..." he hesitates for a moment before continuing, sounding more confident, more sure of what this is. "It feels like we already are boyfriends."
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Hartley feels a warm burst of affection for Cisco when he realizes that he's not only factoring him into the decision of what dog to get, but that he's factoring his rats in too. Cisco must be really serious about wanting to make this work, because while many of the other men Hartley's dated have been pet people, very few of them had been able to tolerate his rats. But Cisco's not like any other man Hartley's dated. Cisco's not like anyone Hartley's ever met before. Maybe that's why this works. "I'm sure if the rats and I spend enough time with your dog, it won't take long for us to befriend it," he says, hoping he will indeed be spending enough time around Cisco and his dog for that to happen.
Maybe they're rushing into this, but something about this feels right. Like this is where they could have been a long time ago if they hadn't wasted so many years hating each other. But he can't bring himself to regret those years, despite how bitter and antagonistic their relationship had been. They still somehow managed to reach this point, and he thinks that might be what matters. All of that history, the good and the awful, brought them to this moment, holding hands and contemplating a future together. As wary and unsure as he'd been this morning, he knows now that he wants this. He wants hand holding, talking, making plans together, and he wants so much more. He wants a relationship. He wants Cisco. And now he knows Cisco wants him too.
Hartley's food sits there, completely forgotten as he listens to Cisco. It's impossible to take his eyes off him right now. It's impossible to think of anything but how much he wishes they were alone for this, so they could finally kiss. This is not how he expected this date to go at all. It almost feels like a dream. But it turns out reality is so much better than anything his subconscious could have come up with. "I'd like that," he says once he finds his voice. "I mean, you already know things about me no one else does, and I'm helping you get a dog. That feels like..." he hesitates for a moment before continuing, sounding more confident, more sure of what this is. "It feels like we already are boyfriends."