It hasn't occurred to him that Cisco might be feeling some sort of responsibility for what happened to him. There's no denying Hartley used to resent Cisco. It felt like something had shifted when Cisco came to work at STAR Labs. Like Harrison needed Hartley just a little bit less. It felt like he was slowly being replaced, like Cisco's arrival had been the beginning of the end (ultimately, it hadn't been Cisco, but Hartley's own desire to do the right thing that had been his downfall, but still). But even in his most bitterest moments, Hartley never blamed Cisco or anyone else for the explosion. The particle accelerator had been Harrison's failure, no one else's. And as hard as coping with his disability had been, he's doing a lot better now. Sure, he's missing out on the cool super powers everyone else managed to get out of the mess, but perhaps that's not a bad thing. There's no guarantee he would have ended up with something cool or useful anyway.
He suspects it's pretty obvious why he chose this apartment building, but he's relieved that Cisco doesn't seem inclined to comment on it. He may have had vengeance in mind when he moved there, but he's still there because he genuinely likes it there. It may not be as fancy or as big as his previous apartment, but he doesn't need it to be. He likes the cheaper rent and he likes that it's so close to everything. It's not perfect (his neighbors are awful), but he and his rats are content. Hopefully Cisco will feel comfortable spending time there too, especially since they'll hopefully be seeing a lot more of each other now that they're a thing.
"Thanks," he says, wondering if maybe he should have done a more thorough job cleaning before he left the apartment. It's not messy, at least to him, but he does have a habit of leaving his project around in various spots throughout the apartment. Normally it wouldn't matter. The rats know not to go near his tech when he's not there and they don't care how the apartment looks anyway. But this is his first time bringing a guy back to his place and he doesn't want his new boyfriend thinking he's a slob. Especially since he's hoping kissing is still on the table once the rats lose interest in them.
"Just four," he says after a moment, smiling as one of the rats climbs up his leg and the other two inch closer to Cisco, checking him out. "This little guy is Galileo," he says, gesturing to the rat that's in the process of trying to climb into his pocket. "The one on the couch is Hamelin. They're all friendly, but Hamelin is kind of lazy and that's his favorite spot in the whole apartment." Which is why he doesn't appear to be in a rush to leave that spot to say hi. "And these little guys are Splinter and Flash. I got these two from the shelter I told you about. They already had those names when I adopted them." He suspects children named them, but it's hard to be sure. "Don't worry, none of them bite."
He wonders if Cisco will recognize Galileo and Hamelin. Or if they'll recognize him.
[ooc: No worries! The wait is totally worth it! I'm really enjoying this thread and I love writing with you. I think these two have really amazing chemistry with each other. Anyway, I hope you're having a great visit with your friend!]
no subject
He suspects it's pretty obvious why he chose this apartment building, but he's relieved that Cisco doesn't seem inclined to comment on it. He may have had vengeance in mind when he moved there, but he's still there because he genuinely likes it there. It may not be as fancy or as big as his previous apartment, but he doesn't need it to be. He likes the cheaper rent and he likes that it's so close to everything. It's not perfect (his neighbors are awful), but he and his rats are content. Hopefully Cisco will feel comfortable spending time there too, especially since they'll hopefully be seeing a lot more of each other now that they're a thing.
"Thanks," he says, wondering if maybe he should have done a more thorough job cleaning before he left the apartment. It's not messy, at least to him, but he does have a habit of leaving his project around in various spots throughout the apartment. Normally it wouldn't matter. The rats know not to go near his tech when he's not there and they don't care how the apartment looks anyway. But this is his first time bringing a guy back to his place and he doesn't want his new boyfriend thinking he's a slob. Especially since he's hoping kissing is still on the table once the rats lose interest in them.
"Just four," he says after a moment, smiling as one of the rats climbs up his leg and the other two inch closer to Cisco, checking him out. "This little guy is Galileo," he says, gesturing to the rat that's in the process of trying to climb into his pocket. "The one on the couch is Hamelin. They're all friendly, but Hamelin is kind of lazy and that's his favorite spot in the whole apartment." Which is why he doesn't appear to be in a rush to leave that spot to say hi. "And these little guys are Splinter and Flash. I got these two from the shelter I told you about. They already had those names when I adopted them." He suspects children named them, but it's hard to be sure. "Don't worry, none of them bite."
He wonders if Cisco will recognize Galileo and Hamelin. Or if they'll recognize him.
[ooc: No worries! The wait is totally worth it! I'm really enjoying this thread and I love writing with you. I think these two have really amazing chemistry with each other. Anyway, I hope you're having a great visit with your friend!]