cisco_ramon | (no subject)

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(no subject)

I refuse to allow myself to get kidnapped today. Absolutely refuse. So I'll definitely see you at 6.

Cisco sends his last text and he hopes it makes him sound cooler than he feels because he's already sort of freaking out. Not in a bad way or anything, he's just always anxious about first dates, though he really shouldn't be with Hartley. It is their first date, yes, but it's not like Cisco needs to try to make a good first impression, considering how well they know each other already.

Still, even as amicable as things have been between them for the last year or so, Cisco hasn't forgotten (and likely will never forget) the way he'd felt when he met Hartley for the first time. It was a lifetime ago now, and as much as Cisco knows that Hartley's attitude back then had been strongly influenced by the situation with his parents (and growing up as a rich only child), remembering some of Hartley's words back then still stings.

But Hartley's ire has mellowed significantly since then, and Cisco has, for all intents and purposes, forgiven Hartley for being so unnecessarily jerktastic at the beginning. Over the last few months in particular Cisco's found himself looking forward to the opportunities they have to work together, and eventually he'd started to realize it wasn't just because he enjoyed Hartley's scientific perspective and intellect.

And now, thanks to the inhibition lowering power of tequila, Cisco and Hartley are going to go out on a real, actual facts date. Of course plans being finalized before ten AM means Cisco has eight hours to agonize over everything he could say or do wrong to screw things up. Rather than spend too much time in his own head he makes the not quite so brilliant decision to go for a run (despite the fact that he hasn't participated in any prolonged cardio in a reasonably long time). By the time he gets home he's a sweaty, exhausted disaster, but his hangover is effectively gone too, so he's going to call it a win (even if it means he won't be able to walk tomorrow).

He spends the rest of the afternoon trying (and failing) to distract himself from overthinking the date. He gives himself several pep talks (which really only make him more anxious), and tries to remind himself that Kendra actually did like him, he only got trumped by 4000 years of reincarnation, so he is totally worthy of being someone's boyfriend. Not that he expects to walk away from dinner as part of a couple (though he doesn't think he'd mind if he did); he just really, really wants things to go well.

Finally around five he lets himself shower and shave and get dressed. He decides to wear a well cut, short sleeved button up shirt rather than any of his t-shirts because he's honestly not sure if Hartley hates them and thinks they're juvenile or if that was all part of his past general, unfounded dislike of Cisco. The Thai place isn't fancy at all and there's no reason to get dressed up, but Cisco still finds himself dithering about whether or not to wear a blazer. Finally he opts not to; it's warm enough he doesn't need the layers and, as much as he feels like he needs to do something to make himself more attractive, he knows it's better if he goes into this just being himself.

Cisco doesn't live that far away and the weather is really nice so he walks to the restaurant, forcing himself to take it slow and breathe so he's as calm as possible when he finally gets there. It turns out he takes it a little too slow and he arrives a few minutes late, spotting Hartley waiting near the doors. He hopes Hartley won't be irritated with his tardiness, but he can't say he hates the few seconds he gets to spend admiring Hartley before he knows Cisco's there, noting the way the afternoon sunlight turns Hartley's eyes a striking, crystalline blue, the attraction Cisco's felt for months reaffirming itself as Cisco takes in each of Hartley's handsome features.

"Hey," he says when he's a few steps away to get Hartley's attention. "I'm sorry I'm late. Barry must be rubbing off on me a little," he adds with an apologetic smile.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cisco's ready to say yes before Hartley reaches out and touches him, but the feeling of Hartley's hand covering his own takes his breath away, Cisco's heart skipping a beat and making him pause to fill his lungs before he can speak. Hartley's more vulnerable in this moment than Cisco's ever seen him before, putting himself out there and leaving himself open. Cisco has reasons to not trust him, starting with their antagonistic history and ending with Hartley's attempt to kill Barry. But that Hartley is gone now, has been gone for a while, and Cisco has forgiven him everything from before.

"Yes," Cisco finally says, turning his hand beneath Hartley's so he can squeeze Hartley's fingers in his own. "I trust you completely, Hartley," he clarifies, his eyes fixed on Hartley's across the table. "Maybe I'm being naïve or stupid, maybe I'm letting my feelings for you cloud my judgement, but I don't think I am," he goes on. "You've helped save Barry's life. More than once. You've helped save all our lives, even when you were still stuck in the pipeline. Evil Wells said it was self preservation, but I know that's not all it was."

Looking down at their joined hands for a moment, Cisco takes a deep breath, then looks back up at Hartley. "I'm a scientist too, and I'm interested in your work, I want to know more about how it works, I want to understand it," he admits, his voice low but strong and passionate. "I want to help you, Hart, the way you help me all the time. Because I'm a scientist and because I'm your friend, and because I really, really like you." He pauses then, squeezing Hartley's fingers again, looking into Hartley's eyes. "I trust you, Hartley," he assures. "And I know you won't hurt me."

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."

Cisco's not surprised that there was a measure of self-preservation involved in Hartley's helping them, because Hartley, being a prisoner, was entirely reliant on Team Flash for his survival. What had shocked Cisco the most at the time was that Hartley hadn't put much effort into trying to escape. Barry had correctly guessed that Hartley had weaponized his first set of hearing aids, and forcing him to remove them had taken breaking out off the table. But there had been any number of opportunities for Hartley to manipulate them (and Cisco in particular) to letting him out of his cell. The more times Cisco had gone to Hartley asking for his assistance, the more lax Cisco had become about opening the door and allowing Hartley to work on things himself (in exchange for favors from Cisco in the form of bringing Hartley special meals, books, changes of clothes, etc.). Cisco had even campaigned repeatedly to have Hartley released, only to be shot down every time by Wells.

It had been an awful time for Hartley, Cisco's sure, even with the comforts that Cisco had started providing. It was unsurprising that Hartley had made himself scarce once they'd discovered that Wells wasn't really who he said he was and finally let Hartley go. But he hadn't disconnected from them, and over the following months his consultation was something they'd come to rely on.

And now they're here, holding hands, and they way Hartley's looking at him makes Cisco think that Hartley might be thinking about kissing him. He licks his lips reflexively, and he has to press his teeth into his lower lip to not lean across the table and initiate a kiss himself when Hartley very sincerely tells Cisco he doesn't want to hurt him. Cisco had been talking about being hurt physically before, but the way Hartley says it makes Cisco think he means emotionally as well, and that means more to Cisco than he can articulate.

"Deal," Cisco replies, giving Hartley a firm nod. "We'll follow the scientific method to the letter. If things don't go well with the non-human test subjects, we won't do any trials with me." It's smart, and it makes Cisco feel good that Hartley's worried about his well being in this in addition to any moral objections. Cisco knows they're walking on thin ice with this, that using hypnosis as a weapon is in the same category as that cold gun he built, too dangerous for a group of people who only want to help others. Which is why Cisco won't be telling Barry or Caitlin or Harry about Hartley's flute, even if they test it and find it does what it's supposed to. Someday there might be an application that makes sense, but there's no way they'll get there if they're not allowed to see it through.

The break in their conversation is good timing, because it's just then when their food arrives. Cisco is reluctant to let go of Hartley's hand, and he waits until the waitress sees their fingers tangled together before he lets go, in the highly unlikely case she had been checking him out earlier.

"I like this," he says when they're once again alone. "Talking about this project with you, getting to know things other people don't. Getting to know you."

Hartley's time in the Pipeline hadn't been pleasant. His cell had been too small for a bed or toilet, and he was pretty sure he developed mild claustrophobia by the time he was finally free again. But sticking around, even imprisoned as he had been, had been worth it. It gave him the opportunity to plant seeds of doubt in team Flash and prepare them (as much as anyone could be prepared) for Harrison's inevitable betrayal. It also meant he was around when that betrayal finally happened and hadn't been left in the dark about sociopath Harrison turned out to be. There were many reasons Hartley can't regret sticking around as long as he did, he thinks his number one reason is sitting right in front of him right now. They never would have gotten to this point if it hadn't been for all the time they spent together while he was in the Pipeline. Somewhere along the line, they began to respect each other and now that was turning into something new.

It's getting harder by the second not to lean in and kiss Cisco, and he has to remind himself that he wants their first kiss to be somewhere more private, where they can focus on each other without worrying about an audience. Hartley gives him another warm smile, ignoring the way his heart is pounding in his chest for a moment and allowing himself to just be grateful that Cisco seems to trust that he doesn't want to hurt him. Because he doesn't. Maybe there was a time when he would have jumped at the chance to hurt Cisco in some way, but that isn't who he is anyone. Cisco isn't his rival or his enemy. He's someone Hartley might actually have a future with.

Hartley nods his head, pleased that Cisco agrees with his suggestion. It puts his mind at ease knowing that the first time he puts the flute to the test, Cisco will be there as an observer and not as a test subject. "Good, we're agreed, then," he says with a sigh of relief. There are so many ways this could go wrong, but at least now they won't be putting Cisco's safety in jeopardy with an untested hypothesis. "You can tell Barry and Caitlin if you want, but I'd rather it just be them." He'd rather if Cisco didn't tell anyone, at least not yet. He has his own concerns about his work ending up in the wrong hands, but he supposes if there's anyone he can trust, it's team Flash.

He doesn't have the chance to say any of that, however, because waitress comes back with their food. He's a little disappointment that the hand holding has to come to an end, but there's plenty of time for more of that later. He waits until the waitress leaves again before meeting Cisco's eyes again.

"I like this too," he murmurs. "I don't get the chance to do this sort of thing often. There aren't many people I trust. But I'm glad this is something I can share with you, and I like that we're getting to know each other better."

Cisco's heart (which has been making itself known repeatedly since the date started) leaps in his chest when Hartley frowns softly at the disconnect of their hands. Cisco's always been a late bloomer, and he's often worried in his adult life if the way he behaves in romantic situations comes across as occasionally juvenile. But the fact that Hartley not only initiated the handholding but also seems sad to see it end makes Cisco feel like he's doing things right. If it wasn't for their food being here he'd hold on to Hartley's hand all night, and he has a heady thought of them walking along the street after their meal is over, hand in hand, looking for all the world to see like a couple. It's still early, but the idea of being like that with Hartley makes his heart soar.

Unwrapping his chopsticks, Cisco smiles across the table at Hartley, full to the brim with happiness. "We can talk more about your flute when you show it to me later," Cisco says, using his chopsticks to give his noodles a stir. "In the meantime, tell me more about you," he suggests, eager to learn everything he can about Hartley. "Like, what kind of music to you listen to? What kinds of movies do you like? What do you do for fun?"

Hartley takes a sip of his drink before unwrapping his own chopsticks, his mind on the warm hand that had been beneath his only a few moments ago. He's sure that won't be the last time they hold hands, especially since he's pretty sure he just invited Cisco over to his place. Truth be told, he initially thought if he invited Cisco over, it would be because they've had a successful date that they weren't ready to end yet. And they are having a successful date. There's no reason it'll have to end just because Cisco's coming over to help him test out his hypothesis.

"I listen to almost everything. Classical, pop, rock... I've always had a thing music, but my appreciation for it has grown considerably since the accident," he says, shrugging. Because a lot of work went into making sure he could actually listen to music without his tinnitus making it an awful experience. "I don't really have as much time for movies as I do for music." Since it's easier to multitask listening to music. "But when I do, I usually watch documentaries. I also like sci-fi and occasionally fantasy and adventure, like Harry Potter or Star Wars." But he's pretty sure everyone likes those movies.

"As for what I do for fun," he continues. "I work on my tech. I... enjoy working," he says, shrugging. He knows not everyone would consider that fun, but he does. "And I play with my pet rats," he murmurs, sounding fond. If Cisco's coming over, he might as well know now that Hartley's rats will be there. He wonders if he should let him know he actually... borrowed a couple of them from STAR Labs when he was freed (yes, let's go with borrowed, even if he has no intention of returning them). Nah, he'll let it be a surprise.

Cisco's learning so many things about Hartley, and they're not big things (well, the flute is a huge thing, but everything else is pretty basic stuff), but Cisco loves knowing all this stuff about Hartley. He loves that Hartley loves music, and that, even after Dr. Wells nearly took that away from him, Hartley not only fought to keep it, he started to love it more. And Cisco's very happy to hear that Hartley likes Star Wars and Harry Potter, even if he doesn't spend that much time watching movies. There are a few films that Cisco is dying to share with him (assuming Hartley hasn't seen them already), the quintessential ones that he quotes all the time, but he has hopes that they can watch them on a couch somewhere together so they can multitask if the feeling grabs them.

"You have rats!" Cisco says, landing on the last thing he says, and he honestly didn't think Hartley was much of a pet person, but it does sort of make sense with his whole Pied Piper persona. And Cisco loves it. "That's awesome! I always wanted a dog when I was a kid, but my brother is allergic, so I've never had a pet anything," he tells Hartley before he pauses to take a bite of his dinner. He hums in approval as he chews, then sets down his chopsticks and wipes his mouth before he continues speaking.

"Have you ever seen The Princess Bride?" he asks, because that is the movie he's going to have to show Hartley if he hasn't seen it yet.

He knows he's not really saying anything earth shattering, but it still feels good being able to talk about these things. He'd forgotten how nice it could be to have friends. Not just colleagues collaborating, though that can be pretty exciting too. But this, this is different. Cisco actually seems interested in what he has to say, in learning about him. Until this date, Cisco was the last person he would have expected this from. He'd still been a little skeptical about whether this could work when he first got to the restaurant, but now he's confident that it can, that they can work. Agreeing to this date is turning out to be the best decision he's made in months.

"Yeah, I do. I've had rats off and on since I was a child. Most people think rats are disease ridden thieves, but I love them. They're so intelligent and affectionate. The thief thing is true, but my rats are healthy." This probably wouldn't seem like appropriate dinner conversation to most people, but luckily they're not most people. "You don't live with your brother now, right?" he asks. "You could always get a pet now." Unless Cisco's place isn't pet-friendly, which would be a shame. Cisco seems like a pet person. Maybe he can befriend his rats. Hartley thinks they'd like that. They love attention.

"Everyone has seen The Princess Bride. I loved that movie when I was younger." And he still loves it, so even though he's already seen it many, many times, he certainly wouldn't mind seeing it again with Cisco. He thinks a movie date would be fun.

Hartley talks about being a child and all Cisco wants in that moment is to know what Hartley looked like back then, if he had a happy childhood, if he had friends he ran around his neighborhood with, if he laughed and plotted schemes, if he had fun. Cisco had trailed after his brother for years when he was a kid, only to be pushed back and teased, a nerd from the very start. He had friends, though, played games and messed around, fell down and hurt himself, laughed the whole way. Cisco wishes they could have known each other back then, wonders what they'd each be like if they'd grown up together, having a friend who had the same drive, scientific minds and quirky personalities. Cisco would have loved to have a friend like Hartley when he was younger, someone who would have understood Cisco's mind, would have been nice and supportive instead of confused and critical.

"I don't live with Dante now, no," he says, thinking about Hartley's rats, about Hartley's kind soul, about what must have happened with Hartley to make him as unhappy and angry as he was when Cisco met him. Cisco knows about Hartley's parents, and that would be more than enough to break Hartley's spirit, but Cisco wonders if there was more on top of that, if Hartley had ever felt truly accepted and understood by anyone. "Do you like dogs or cats better?" Cisco asks, because he thinks he likes both, and, because he hopes he'll be spending much more time with Hartley in the future, he wants to know which Hartley would be most comfortable around.

"I'm relieved," Cisco says, offering Hartley a smile. "The Princess Bride is one of the most amazing films of all time. But, you know, if you ever want to see it again, I own it on Bluray," Cisco tells Hartley, tucking his lower lip beneath his teeth. "If you'd be interested in watching it with me, I mean."

Despite his parents eventually disowning him, Hartley had had a very happy childhood. His parents loved him (though apparently not unconditionally as he later found out), and they encouraged his interest in science and, despite his unfortunate lack of talent, his interest in music. That said, his upbringing hadn't been like most kids. He had a nanny, went to the best schools, and played with kids with similar upbringings. There had been no running around the neighborhood, or sibling rivalries or plotting schemes. It hadn't been bad (far from it, really), but it had been different. Still, there are enough similarities between them that might actually have been friends back then if they had known each other. Hartley certainly would have been more open to it as a child than he'd been as an adult.

"Good, then there's no reason you shouldn't have a pet," he says. "There are a lot of benefits to having a pet. They can be pretty good for your health." And Hartley can't imagine not having a pet at this point. His rats have gotten him through a lot over the years. They're his babies. "I don't really have a preference," he replies. Because rats are obviously more his thing. "Cats tend to be pretty independent, and don't require a lot of space, but dogs are much easier to train and they're more affectionate. But I like them both pretty equally," he says with a shrug. He'd be comfortable around either, really. But Cisco seems more like a dog person.

"Sure," he replies with a grin. "I'd like that. Maybe karaoke for our second date and a Princess Bride date for our third?" he suggests. "If there are more dates, I mean." But he's pretty optimistic that there will be.

Cisco thinks about it, imagines what his apartment might look like with a cat in it, curled up on one end of the couch, hopping into bed with him at 5AM wanting food, laying between him and Hartley as they sleep in on a Saturday morning. Then he pictures his life with a dog there, a little one because his apartment isn't very big, jumping against his knees when he comes home after work, sleeping in Hartley's lap because even Cisco's dog would be able to sense Hartley's kind soul.

"Maybe I'll get a dog," he says, sort of wistful, still half lost in his imagination. "Would you go to the shelter with me?" he asks, blinking his eyes into focus on Hartley's face. It makes sense, because it was Hartley's idea, but also Cisco wants Hartley to like his dog. They're not close enough for Cisco to be thinking about what it might be like if they lived together, but if Cisco gets a dog he wants to have it a while, and (he hopes) it might actually become a factor. Then, and maybe it's too soon, but he feels like he should find out anyway, he asks, "Would your rats be okay if there was a dog in the house?"

He blushes then, way too far ahead of himself, and he hides his face by taking a sip of his drink.

"I want more dates," he says then, blurting it out softly then smiling in the face of his outburst. "If you want more too, of course. I'm just, I'm really enjoying this one," he goes on, putting his left hand on the table and reaching out because screw dinner, he's been missing holding Hartley's hand since he let go of it. "I love karaoke," he tells Hartley. "I love movies, and so far I'm really, really liking being with you. I've never had a real boyfriend, and I know we've just started this, but I definitely want a second date," he finishes with a smile, realizing he's probably said too much, but it's too late to take it back.

Hartley looks back up from his meal to give Cisco a surprised smile. "Sure. If you want, I can take you to the shelter where I got my two newest rats," he offers. "There were plenty of dogs there in need of a home." And Hartley's adopted enough rats from the shelter over the years that he's on a first name basis with everyone that works there. He wonders when Cisco will want to go get a dog. Perhaps Hartley can help him puppy-proof his place first. "My rats will be okay with anything that won't eat or experiment on them," he says after a moment, once again surprised by Cisco's question.

He wonders if this means Cisco's hoping they'll be spending enough time with each other that their pets meeting will be inevitable. If he's being honest, he's relieved Cisco decided on a dog instead of a cat, because he knows it would be much harder to train a cat not to eat his rats. It's probably way too soon to be thinking like that, but he can't help it. Besides, he likes to think through every possibility.

"I'm enjoying our date too," he says with a pleased smile as he reaches out to take Cisco's hand again again. It's a relief to know he isn't the only one who enjoyed their hand holding earlier. It's also a relief to know that Cisco doesn't want this to be their last date. It seems they're on the same page regarding where they hope all of this is going. "I'd love to go on more dates with you. Karaoke dates, movies dates, any other dates we might think of," he murmurs, caressing the back of Cisco's hand with his thumb as he continues. "Given how much thought we both seem to be putting into the future, it almost sounds like we're already... a thing." Which he doesn't think he's opposed to, necessarily, as long as they do this right and Cisco doesn't get scared off. Hartley knows Cisco said he's all in, but he also knows he's never had a boyfriend before.

"I'd like that," Cisco replies with a bright smile when Hartley suggests taking Cisco to a specific shelter, one he's been to before and, presumably, knows is reputable. Cisco's never gone to one before, only those horrible pet stores in the mall, and he wants to be sure that he's saving a dog that really needs a home rather than a purebred or something that will get adopted no matter what. He knows already it won't be a really young one, not only because Cisco doesn't feel remotely prepared to take care of a baby of any species, but he knows puppies get adopted a lot faster than older dogs do.

"I want to make sure I get a dog that likes you," he says, his imagination already running away from him again, picturing the two of them at the shelter, Hartley knelt down as a little dog balances on his knee and licks his smiling face. "And we'll make sure he or she is nice to your rats, too. I should do some research, see what breeds are best for that sort of thing. I mean, just so we're prepared. In case they ever end up living in the same place." He knows he's over explaining, that Hartley gets it, but he doesn't want to put Hartley off by getting so far ahead of himself already, doesn't want Hartley to think he expects anything. He just likes the idea so much, being Hartley's boyfriend, spending the night together, and he's not even thinking of sex right now, just sharing space, being close, being happy. Being happy together.

Cisco's eyes fall to their hands when Hartley moves to take Cisco's again, watches the way Hartley's thumb strokes over Cisco's skin, the contrast of their skin color, and he thinks about how good they probably look together. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking, but Hartley definitely looks good, and their hands look really nice, they way they're touching. He turns his eyes to Hartley's face as Hartley talks about going out with Cisco again, and not just once but lots of times, and Cisco knows that he's putting way too much of his heart into this already, but he can't help himself. The idea of Hartley dating anyone else makes his chest hurt, and Cisco knows he should probably be careful and take his time, but he also can't deny how much he already wants Hartley to be his.

"I, uh." Cisco takes a breath, and he feels bad because the food is really good, but he has no interest in doing anything but talking to Hartley right now, and his stomach feels like it's full of frazzled butterflies again. "Can we be? A thing?" he asks, his voice shaking just a little, hoping he's not pushing the limit too much, that Hartley won't think he's crazy. "Because I, I think... I'd like to be. Uh. Your, uh." He's blushing hard, and his heart is hammering in his chest, his mouth completely dry. He tries to swallow, licking at his lips. "Your boyfriend," he manages finally, and his ears start ringing even before he finishes speaking, nerves threatening to overwhelm him.

"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."

Cisco can't contain another grin at Hartley's offer, not just to help him choose a dog (which Cisco seriously appreciates because he's never done anything like this before) but assisting Cisco in getting his apartment ready to keep the dog (and his things) safe. Again it's something Cisco can really use help with, but, at the same time, it means Hartley wants to come to his place. Considering how their conversation has been going it's not too big of a surprise that Hartley wants to be alone with Cisco, but this just further cements that Hartley wants to be in Cisco's space, in Cisco's life.

"That's a really good idea, puppy proofing," he says, and he's not even bothering to hide his smile anymore. "And I could definitely use your help there. I have no idea what kinds of things dogs like to get into." He pauses, a thought striking him then. "Maybe I should meet your rats first, sort of get an idea of their habits. Could that help?"

It's strange, as Cisco sits across from Hartley, watching him, how his impressions of the other man have changed over the years he's known him. At first all he'd seen were Hartley's sneers, the way he looked down at people (especially him), and he'd found Hartley's expression largely off-putting (though he had always legitimately thought Hartley's eyes were beautiful). Then there'd been the Time Wraith, Hartley's reaction honest and afraid then focused and confident as he'd made the adjustment to his gauntlets to save not only himself but Cisco and Caitlin. Cisco had seen more of that over the months that followed, and Hartley's face had registered as a friend, as someone trustworthy, as someone attractive. Right now, sitting here, Hartley looks more gorgeous by the second. Cisco had thought he was hot the instant he laid eyes on him tonight, but that's expanded; he looks sexy and sweet, sometimes humble, occasionally impressed, and very, very kissable.

Cisco swallows hard when Hartley starts to speak again, a little afraid that Hartley's going to (probably gently) push him back a little, and he holds his breath, waiting for it. But it doesn't come, and Hartley says the word boyfriends and Cisco's heart skips two beats in his chest. The idea of eating again now is completely unthinkable; all he wants is to be alone with Hartley somewhere so he can kiss him absolutely breathless.

"I know we just got our food, but what do you think about getting out of here?" he asks, lowering his voice because he sounds sort of raw and needy and he doesn't need anyone else but Hartley seeing the look on his face right now.

Hartley grins, pleased that Cisco is so accepting of his help. There's something really exciting about bringing a pet home for the first time, and Hartley's grateful Cisco's allowing him to be part of that.

"I'm pretty sure dogs would get into everything if they could." But Luckily for Cisco, it isn't as easy for dogs to get into certain areas as it is for rats. "It won't be too hard to make your place dog-friendly. But we should probably get a few things for your dog beforehand too. Toys and such." Some things (like dog food) will obviously have to wait until they know more about the dog Cisco's bringing home, but there's no harm in getting a few simple things beforehand. "Well, you're already coming over to my place after this, right?" To observe Hartley's experiment with the flute. "You can meet them while you're there if you want. I do think meeting them would help."

At this point Hartley probably shouldn't be surprised that Cisco might want to meet his rats, given the way their date has been going, but he can't help it. This date has been full of surprises so far. The kind of surprises that make his skin tingle and the butterflies in his stomach go crazy. It's been so long since the last time he allowed himself to feel something like this for anyone, and it's still weird to him that out of everyone, it's Cisco Ramon he's growing such strong feelings for. But not as weird as the fact that out of everyone, he seems to be the one Cisco wants to be with. They really have come a long way this past year and a half. They've evolved from former colleagues to enemies, from enemies to reluctant allies and from reluctant allies to friends. And now they're becoming something so much more.

Hartley's unable to hide his relief when Cisco suggest they get out of there. He's wanted to kiss Cisco for a while now, and as good as he knows the food is there, it's impossible to give it the attention it deserves when all he wants right now is for them to finally be alone together. Some moments are meant for privacy and this feels like one of them. Besides, it's not like they can't come back to this restaurant at a future date. But right now he just wants to be alone with his new boyfriend.

"I think that's a fantastic idea," he responds quietly, already reaching into his pocket for his wallet. "I live really close by, so we can go back to my place if you'd like?" He knows they were originally going to go for drinks if the date went well (which it has), but he forgot about that just as quickly as he forgot about the food sitting in front of them. The only thing he won't be forgetting any time soon is how much he wants to kiss Cisco.

The more they talk about it, the more grateful Cisco is that Hartley seems to know so much about pets, even ones he doesn't currently own. Not that Cisco had been thinking seriously about adopting a dog until Hartley suggested it, but at this point he has his heart set on it, especially considering how involved Hartley's going to be in the entire process. It's going to be Cisco's dog in name, but, really, Cisco's going to think of it as their dog.

"Maybe we can go shopping tomorrow," Cisco suggests, and he doesn't necessarily mean that they'll still be together then, because they could obviously just meet up again, but there's definitely a part of him that wouldn't mind staying the night with Hartley, even if all they do is sleep. "Buy the dog toys and stuff. If you don't have plans already, of course," he adds, and he knows Hartley wants him around (Hartley is his boyfriend now, after all), but this is all happening so fast and Cisco doesn't want to annoy Hartley into thinking he's made a horrible mistake in agreeing to date Cisco.

Cisco smiles when Hartley agrees to Cisco's suggestion that they leave, and he might be imagining the dark twinkle in Hartley's eyes, or the way Hartley glances at his mouth, but he really doesn't think he is. He's not going to get his hopes up too high, because this is so new, and, even though they're a couple now, this is still their first date, but he's pretty sure Hartley wants to kiss him just as much as he wants to kiss Hartley.

"Let's go to your place," he concurs, giving Hartley a look that he hopes makes it clear just how much he wants to be alone with Hartley right now. "But let me pay for dinner, okay?" he adds, taking out his own wallet and tossing enough cash onto the table to more than cover their food and drinks and still leave a generous tip for their waitress. "I asked you out," he explains, meeting Hartley's eyes. "It's our first date. I want to do it right."

He doesn't wait for Hartley to object, reaching out to take Hartley's hand again, squeezing it once before leading Hartley toward the door. He hopes Hartley won't mind him taking the initiative here, and, obviously, Hartley's going to have to take over directing them once they're outside (since Cisco doesn't know where Hartley lives), but Cisco has a vested interest in getting to Hartley's place as soon as humanly possible, and he has a feeling Hartley might be on the same page.

"I don't have any plans for tomorrow. Shopping sounds like a good idea," he says, pleased by the suggestion. Perhaps after their shopping trip, Hartley can help Cisco pet-proof his place. He knows most people wouldn't consider something like that a date, since it's pretty much a necessity when you're a pet owner, but Hartley's looking forward to it nonetheless. It allows him to be involved in the planning for Cisco's dog, and it gives him an excuse to spend more time with him. Not that he really needs an excuse now that they've decided that they're together and put a label on what they are.

After all the time he's spent single, it's strange how okay he is with all of this. Until now, he honestly thought he'd been content being alone, but now he wants more than that. Now that he's found someone he actually connects with (even if it's the last person he would have expected), he intends to allow himself to enjoy this new relationship. Starting with their first kiss, which he's hoping will happen once they're finally alone together.

Hartley's hand pauses on his wallet as he gives Cisco a surprised look. He doesn't have much time to protest Cisco's insistence at paying for their meal, since he's soon being lead to the door. Instead he comes up with a compromise. "As long as you let me pay on our second date," he finally say as they exit the building. He can't remember what they decided their second date will be, but Hartley's pretty sure whatever it was had been his idea and Cisco's not the only one who wants to do this right.

"Thank you for dinner by the way. I know neither of us really ate much, but I still had a really good time," he says, giving Cisco's hand a light squeeze as he begins leading the way down the street towards his apartment building. For the second time that evening, he's glad he chose an apartment so close to both STAR Labs and the restaurant. Sure, he may have chosen it because it made it easier to spy on team Flash, but the proximity is turning out to be useful even now when all he wants is to get his new boyfriend alone. Thankfully, it's only a short walk before they standing in front of his building. He gives Cisco a nervous smile as he leads him to the door. "I told you I lived nearby," he says as he pulls his key out of his pocket.

"Great!" Cisco replies, genuinely excited for their shopping plan (and not just to spend more time with Hartley, though that is definitely a contributing factor). There's a part of his brain that's already thinking of the sorts of options he might have, for toys and treats and dog beds and bowls and the like, but it's largely eclipsed by the rest of his brain that's admiring Hartley's smile, thinking about shopping for all that with Hartley, sharing his excitement. There are a lot of new experiences tied up here for Cisco and he's never felt this comfortable and happy with someone this quickly before. He's so grateful that he's getting to share all of this with Hartley, all thanks to Past Cisco sending a drunken text message (and proving that good things do occasionally come from drinking tequila).

"You can absolutely get the next one," Cisco agrees with a smile, and he realizes that they're probably going to start just switching off easily like couples do, not as worried about protocol and manners as they would be if they were still trying to feel things out. But, honestly, Cisco doesn't care who pays as long as he gets to keep going on dates with Hartley.

"And you're welcome. I had a really, really good time too. I'm so glad we did this," he goes on, still smiling (he's not actually sure he could stop if he tried), soaking in the feeling of walking down the street hand in hand with his new boyfriend. To say he's proud would be an understatement; he knows he's the lucky one here, having someone as handsome and amazing and intelligent wanting to be with him. He knows he's got a lot to offer too, but after a life of being passed over, ignored, hated, and misunderstood, it's so nice to have someone who is interested in his time, who wants to be close to him, someone who shares his passion for science, who can both keep up with him and challenge him, who knows, intimately, what he does and who he is. The fact that Hartley is really attractive is just a bonus, really, but Cisco can't say he minds that at all.

When they reach Hartley's building there's a part of Cisco that's sad their walk is over, but the anticipation of what is (likely, hopefully) to come pushes the feeling away quickly. Cisco bites his lip as Hartley unlocks the exterior door and goes inside when Hartley ushers him in first. From there Cisco follows Hartley to his apartment, looking around at the interior of the building and noting the architecture, the wiring and exits and other things he's learned to pay attention to since he started working with Barry. "Did you live here when you worked at STAR Labs before?" Cisco asks, partially out of curiosity and partially to fill the silence and quiet the excited fluttering in his stomach.

Hartley gives Cisco a fond smile as they reach an agreement. It seems so much simpler this way. Now they'll be able to do enjoy their future dates, of which he hopes there will be many, without worrying about who is going to pay the bill. It makes him wonder why it always took so long to get to that point with most of his former boyfriends. It feels like something much better discussed in the beginning of a relationship. He likes to think they're already doing something right.

"I'm glad we did this too," he says. "I wasn't sure it would be a good idea at first. I wasn't sure how serious you were about any this, given our past. But I'm glad I took a chance... that we both took a chance." He thinks it's all turning out pretty well so far. They've made so many plans together; shopping, getting Cisco's dog together, more dates... Hartley's even bringing him home to meet his rats. So maybe 'pretty well' is an understatement. 'Shockingly amazing' seems much more accurate. There had been a time when Hartley had thought they'd never manage to be anything more than reluctantly civil (at best) and downright hostile (at worst), but so much has changed.

Hartey shook his head. "No, I didn't move in until after the particle accelerator explosion. Between my medical bills and my unfortunate lack of employment, I had to let my previous apartment go. This place was more affordable and I thought the location was convenient," he says as he begins leading Cisco up the stairs to the top floor. It's probably obvious now why the location was so convenient at the time, but Hartley's not going to bring that up unless Cisco does. It's not like it's a secret that he used to keep an eye on the goings-on at STAR Labs. "I almost wish I had been living here when I worked at STAR Labs. I would have been able to sleep in a little longer in the mornings."

Once they finally reach the top floor, he heads down to the end of the hallway, stopping when they reach his apartment. Letting go of Cisco's hand again, he unlocks the door and holds it open, waiting for Cisco to go inside before following him in and switching on the light. "So, this is it. Home sweet home," he says, curious about what Cisco will think of his apartment. It's not a huge place, but it's not too small either. The living room is probably the biggest room in the apartment. It has room for his couch, coffee table (which is where his gauntlets are currently resting), TV, and in one corner there's a flute stand, and in the other there's two decent sized rat cages.

Rat cages that he quickly realizes are empty. Hartley closes the door before glancing around the room in dismay. Hamelin (one of the rats he freed from STAR Labs) is napping on the arm of the couch, but he's not sure where the other three are hiding. "Careful where you step. My rats figured out how to escape their cage again." But the moment the words are out of his mouth, the other three rats come racing out of his small kitchen to greet them.

Somehow knowing how truly trepidatious Hartley had felt about agreeing to this date in the first place makes the fact that Hartley said yes feel even more profound to Cisco. He hadn't sent that first text to Hartley with any intentions at all, and even after he'd sent it he'd expected Hartley to give him a hard time or tell him off, not be the least be receptive to Cisco's advances. And now here they are, in the midst of a first date so successful that they've decided to be a couple, making plans to be big parts of each other's lives in good, positive, pleasant ways. It had taken Cisco a relatively long time to come to terms with his attraction to Hartley once he'd recognized it for what it was, but he'd never intended for Hartley to find out about it. He's so glad his impulse control can't withstand the liberal application of alcohol.

When Hartley explain to Cisco why he'd had to move here, Cisco can't help the guilt that wells in him, putting a soft frown on his face. He hadn't been personally responsible for the particle accelerator explosion, and though he'd been affected himself, what had happened to him hadn't been anywhere near as traumatic as what had happened to Hartley. He knows it's not his fault, but Cisco can't help but feel bad that he managed to get metahuman powers out of the deal where Hartley ended up with a serious disability. Hartley's been able to mitigate it, as smart and resourceful as he is, but Cisco didn't even know until the Pied Piper had shown up that Hartley had been hurt. There's a bit of what Hartley says that pings in the back of Cisco's mind, but he can't really begrudge Hartley's anger over what had happened to him, and Cisco forgave Hartley for what he'd done a long time ago. Now all Cisco feels is more anger and disappointment about Eobard Thawne and what he did to all of them in his selfish quest to destroy The Flash.

Cisco doesn't say anything until he and Hartley are inside Hartley's apartment, too much going on in his head that he's not sure how to articulate. He had complicated feelings about Hartley before today, but now there's a lot of things Cisco can only describe as romantic leanings, thoughts and hopes about the future they could have together if things keep going as well as they have so far. He wants to kiss Hartley, and that's not a new desire by any stretch, but it's so much stronger now, and fueled more by how much he likes Hartley on the inside than how attractive he thinks Hartley is (which is another thing that's growing exponentially the more time they spend together).

"It's a nice place," Cisco says, walking into the space and looking around, noting all the touches that feel very Hartley to him. There are few things that feel familiar in a different way too, the in process projects on the coffee table and the kitchen counter just like the sorts Cisco always has going on, and Cisco wonders if they extend into the bedroom the way they do at Cisco's place. Barry's made fun of Cisco in the past for the state of his apartment, telling him that he's never going to keep a girlfriend if he leaves his toys around like that, and he knows Barry's only teasing him, but it's nice to know Hartley's not going to give him a hard time about it, considering he does the same thing. God, Cisco's falling for this guy already, and hard. He's not surprised, but he really hopes he doesn't screw things up by being so invested so quickly.

He's about to say something more when Hartley alerts him to the rat escape, and he immediately looks down to make sure he hasn't taken a wrong step already, and he sees three rats come running from the kitchen as if called by the sound of Hartley's voice. "How many should there be?" he asks, keeping his feet firmly planted as he looks up to Hartley again, feeling another little rush of fondness at the obvious affection Hartley has for his pets. There is a lot more to Hartley than Cisco's ever known, and the more he learns, the deeper his feelings for Hartley become.

[ooc: I'm sorry for the delay on this tag. I have a friend visiting from out of town and haven't had time to sit down and get a reply written. But I wanted to say I really, really love this thread and writing with you. Thank you so much for being so wonderful and patient! I hope you're having a great weekend!]

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!]

The look on Hartley's face when Cisco comments on the apartment makes Cisco think that Hartley might have been a little nervous about Cisco's opinion of it, and it makes Cisco smile. Back when they first worked together Hartley seemed to always be on the lookout for ways to criticize Cisco or his work, and he definitely had no interest at all in Cisco's thoughts on anything. It's just another in a long line of subtle differences in their relationship now, things that prove to Cisco that he's not wrong about his feelings for Hartley, that Hartley has genuinely changed and become a better person. Cisco does worry, momentarily, how Hartley will feel about the state of his apartment. The space here is clean and organized, and there isn't a person in the world that would think anything about Hartley's apartment was messy.

Cisco's place, on the other hand, is a bit... cluttered. It's not a pigsty or anything, he just never really has guests over so he's let his creativity sprawl a bit over the years. He probably ought to go out and purchase a few more plastic bins to contain the plethora of electronics and tools he doesn't currently have a home for, especially now that he's on the verge of adopting a dog. Hopefully Hartley won't mind too much helping him sort through some of that stuff; he's really bad about throwing away tech, always sure he's going to wind up needing it for something later.

His bedroom is pretty well organized, at least. He owns a lot of t-shirts, but they fold well and it's easy to keep his dressers tidy, and his closet is virtually empty because he doesn't own a whole lot of clothes that need to be hung up. If nothing else he and Hartley can hide from the dog proofing in progress by going to Cisco's room. He has a television in there, so they can watch movies at least, so hopefully Hartley won't think Cisco only has one kind of thing in mind.

Cisco grins when Hartley tells him the names of his rats, and it's another little hint at Hartley's more playful side, especially the fact that Hartley hasn't renamed Splinter or Flash. Hamelin is self explanatory (and earns Hartley even more respect in Cisco's mind, how steadfastly Hartley is embracing the Pied Piper theme -- next time they get a metahuman that needs a name, Cisco's going to give the naming rights to Hartley, just to see if that dedication can extend to names beyond his own), but Cisco is really curious why, out of all the scientists Hartley could have chosen, he named one of his pets after Galileo. Thinking about it, Cisco thinks he might go with Telsa (obvious) or Ampère himself, in that scenario.

Carefully, Cisco drops into a crouch, Flash and Splinter racing back a few paces away from him with the movement. But they don't stay away long, moving close to him again a few steps at a time, and he reaches out with an upturned palm, resting the back of his hand on the floor. One of the two closes in enough to sniff the end of his middle finger, and, as if he decides Cisco is trustworthy, he puts one of his little paws on the tip of Cisco's index finger, making a soft squeaking noise that calls the other rat over to investigate himself. Cisco doesn't want to scare them so he doesn't move to pet them, but he hopes that one day they'll be comfortable enough to let him hold them. They used to keep rats in the lab at work, but several of them didn't survive the particle accelerator explosion, and Caitlin was adamant they release the rest to a rescue. She'd never liked using them for experiments anyway, thought it was a cruel way to conduct biological tests, and Cisco definitely didn't disagree.

"Why Galileo?" he asks then, keeping his voice soft as he turns his eyes up to Hartley from where he continues to kneel on Hartley's floor, both Splinter and Flash wandering across his palm and around his feet, smelling his fingers and his shoes.

[ooc: I think they do, too! I really love how much backstory you have for Hartley, and it's so much fun reading everything you write! It's a heck of a lot of fun to play off your tags, and I'm enjoying the whole thread very much! I hope you're having a nice week so far!]

Cisco doesn't look like he minds the way Hartley's apartment looks and it makes him wonder if he also has a habit of leaving his work around. Hartley tried to keep things tidy, but his habit of getting lost in his work often makes that difficult. Perhaps it's one more thing they have in common with each other. Hartley hadn't had that in common with Harrison. Harrison kept his place immaculate. Nothing was ever out of place and there weren't nearly as many personal touches. Harrison's home had been nice, if a bit cold and impersonal. But Hartley suspects Cisco's place won't like that at all. He has a feeling Cisco's apartment will reflect his personality. At least, he hopes it will. A home can tell you a lot about the person who lives there.

And Hartley's looking forward to learning a lot more about Cisco. All the things he never had the chance or the interest in learning in the years they worked together. And he's looking forward to seeing Cisco with a dog. He has a feeling he'll be an excellent pet owner. Any dog he gets is bound to adore him. The rats have barely met him, and Flash already seems to like him, if the paws on Cisco's finger is anything to go by (and since Hartley know his rats pretty well, it is). He watches as Splinter inches closer as well, unable to hide his curiosity. "Don't worry, it doesn't take them long to warm up to people," he says, giving Cisco a pleased smile.

"He's not really as well known for this in particular, but Galileo was one of the first to understand sound frequency. He demonstrated that the frequency of sound waves determined the pitch." he says, lifting Galileo up from his pocket. "I've already had rats named Da Vinci and Mersenne." Leonardo DaVinci was the first person to discover that sound traveled in waves, and Marin Mersenne was the first to measure the speed of sound in air. Hartley has a thing for naming his rats after physicists who worked with sound. "Galileo and Hamelin were lab rats before I brought them home, so it seemed appropriate to name at least one of them after a physicist."

He allows Galileo to climb up onto his shoulder, but makes sure to keep a hand on him so he doesn't get any ideas and try to jump down to Cisco's shoulder. He can already tell Galileo's just as curious as the other the two rats, while Hamelin is content to watch from the comfort of the couch. "I wasn't the one experimenting on them. While I recognize its importance and contributions to science, animal experimentation really isn't my cup of tea at all," he says, because he doesn't want Cisco to misunderstand. "In fact, it didn't appear as though they were being experimented on at all when I took them, so I'm not sure what they were doing there." Hartley's dying to ask Cisco about that, but he's not sure how to do that without giving away exactly where it was he got Hamelin and Galileo. He doesn't think Cisco would get angry or try to take them back, but it might be better not to risk it.

[ooc: Thanks! I doubt we'll ever get much backstory for Hartley on the show, so I figured I'd make one for him and explore him a bit. I love your Cisco btw! He's really IC and a lot of fun to play off of. He's my favorite character on the show, so it's awesome getting to thread with your Cisco! I hope you're having a nice week too!]

Cisco grins down at the rats running around him, both of them seemingly accepting Cisco's presence in their home and deeming him 'not a threat'. Cisco's glad, because he hopes he'll get to be around them frequently in the future, considering he's dating their daddy. It really is sweet, the way Hartley treats them, how they run around his house and behave themselves, his little furry army.

Cisco turns his eyes back up to Hartley when he explains why he named one of them Galileo, and again Cisco's reminded that Hartley's interest in sound isn't just a hobby. The hearing aids Hartley uses are really incredible, a feat of technology more powerful than anything on the consumer market. The first non-explosive set Cisco had developed when Hartley had been incarcerated in the Pipeline had been a stopgap as he'd been wholly unable to reproduce exactly what Hartley had engineered himself. Beyond sound amplification, they'd had a complex wavelength filter build into them that not only filtered out ambient noise and counter acted Hartley's permanent, unbearable tinnitus but allowed for fine adjustments to be made either automatically (if the soundscape changed suddenly) or manually (for specific situations). Cisco's replicas had been basic, only able to remove ambient noise and cancel the tinnitus.

A few months later, after Hartley had willing helped Team Flash on a few projects despite still being their prisoner, Cisco had agreed to work with Hartley to make a more functional set of replacements. At first Cisco had done all the work, guided by Hartley's instruction, but eventually Cisco had given Hartley the tools he needed to complete the work himself. Cisco suspects the design of the set Hartley's using now has been upgraded and modified several times since the version Cisco had helped with, and Cisco finds himself interested to know what Hartley's changed. He has a mind to ask when Hartley mentions that two of his pets were lab rats previously, and it brings back to mind his thoughts from before about Caitlin and the rats at STAR Labs.

"Caitlin never liked that the other bio engineers at STAR Labs used rats for their testing either," Cisco remarks, moving to carefully stand, Flash and Splinter squeaking and standing up on their hind legs to see what he's up to, one of them climbing onto his shoe and testing the length of his shoelace with its teeth. "I think she eventually convinced them to stop, and, after the particle accelerator explosion, she took the ones we had left to a rescue." Cisco thinks about it for a moment, watching Galileo on Hartley's shoulder, watching as the rat sniffs along Hartley's collar. He never spent as much time in the biology lab as Caitlin had so he doesn't know how many rats they had at the end, but he's starting to get the idea that maybe Hartley'd been liberating rats from STAR Labs before Caitlin had.

"Wherever they are now, I'm sure they're being well taken care of," Cisco says, giving Hartley a little smile. He might be making the wrong connection, but if he's not he wants Hartley to know he's glad those rats are happy and safe. Considering when Hartley probably took them, if he truly had, he might have even saved their lives.

"I agree, by the way," he adds, wanting Hartley to know how he feels about animal testing himself. "I don't think scientists should test on animals unless there's no other way, and then only when it's really important." He thinks back to what Hartley said before, about testing his flute, and he knows Hartley's going to be as sure as he can be that it's safe before he does any testing at all, but Cisco wonders if having to use animals to test it is why the project has stalled the way it has. It makes Cisco wish there had been some way they could have kept Thawne imprisoned rather than sending him back to his proper timeline. Cisco can't think of anyone he'd rather use as a test subject than the man who had betrayed and used all of them for no reason beyond his own ego.

[ooc: I think the backstory you're writing is great! I love Hartley and I think the way you've fleshed him out is interesting/engaging and totally fitting with his character. And thank you! I'm so happy you like the way I'm playing Cisco! I really like him too and, as always, I wish the show did more with him. That's a big part of why I like RPing him, so he can get the attention he deserves, hee.]