cisco_ramon | (no subject)

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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

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.]

Hartley's made a lot of upgrades and modifications to his hearing aids in the months since he left the Pipeline and STAR Labs behind. As much progress as he'd been allowed to make with them at STAR Labs, he had a lot more freedom to experiment and make improvements once he finally had the freedom to spend as much time as he liked on his work without worrying about needing anyone else's approval or supervision or getting sent back to his lonely, uncomfortable cell. Still, working on them alone just doesn't feel the same. As much he loves having his freedom back, he sometimes wishes there was someone else around to run his ideas by. The rats love to help out sometimes (usually fetching him tools), but they can't exactly offer their input.

But who knows? Maybe Cisco coming here to observe his experiment with the flute will make it easier for him to ask for his help in the future. Perhaps now they can work together in a way they never could when they were coworkers. At the very least, he'd like to be able to show Cisco his work. Which he will, starting with his flute. But first, he really needs to figure out if he should be honest about where he got his rats.

Hartley sets Galileo down onto the floor with the others, watching as he scurries over to sniff at Cisco. "How well did you guys keep track of the rats you kept there?" he asks, debating for a moment whether or not to fess up before finally coming to a decision. It's pretty obvious now that STAR Labs won't want them back, especially now that there's only Cisco, Caitlin and Barry left. Well, and Harry. But Hartley can't imagine him giving a crap one way another about the whereabouts of rats Hartley stole long before Harry stepped foot on Earth 1. Besides, if Galileo and Hamelin ever run into any health issues their vet can't figure out, it might be good to have the option to turn to his allies at STAR Labs and find out what they know about what experiments, if any, were run on his pets before he took them. "So, hypothetically... it wouldn't bother you if someone happened to encounter the rats at STAR Labs and decided to take them home?" he finally asks.

It's a relief that Cisco seems to feel the way he does about experimenting on animals. Hartley's never been comfortable with that sort of thing, and while he used to visit and play with the rats at STAR Labs on occasion (back when he was still employed there), he had always been grateful that none of his experiments required animal testing. Until now, that is. Truthfully, he's dreading using the flute on animals. But he's done everything possible to make sure he won't accidentally harm anything or anyone, and when he does use it, he doesn't intend to take any unnecessary risks with his test subjects. He doesn't need them to do anything dangerous or mind-blowing to test his hypothesis. Still, he wishes there were a test subject available that he wouldn't feel guilt about experimenting on. It really is a shame Harri— Eobard no longer exists.

"I'm a little nervous about using the flute," he confesses, watching as Flash climbs onto Cisco's hand. "It's never been necessary for me to test my tech on animals before now." But if this works, it could someday benefit not only human beings, but animals as well.

[ooc: I'm hoping the show will do more with Cisco and his powers in season 3. I'm dying to see them explore his character and his cautious transformation into Vibe more.]

Cisco smiles down at Galileo as Hartley puts him on the ground, watching him join his bothers (or at least Cisco thinks they're all males – he can't really tell the difference without looking at them more closely) in investigating Cisco's shoes. He looks back up at Hartley's question, a crease appearing between his brows at the tone of it. "Uh, I think there are still records in the archive somewhere," he replies. "I'm pretty sure they were tattooed with ID numbers," he adds, thinking back to some of the conversations he'd heard Caitlin have with Fake Dr. Wells back when the lab was still fully staffed.

But it doesn't take a genius to figure out what Hartley's getting at, and Cisco looks back down at Galileo, who is chewing on the hem of one of Cisco's pants legs. "If you tell me which tattoos yours have, I'll get you the records," he says as he raises his gaze to Hartley's again, smiling at him softly. "When the particle accelerator exploded two of the rats in the bio lab were killed," he goes on, frowning a little at the loss of their little lives. "Caitlin took three to the rescue. So, really, STAR Labs should thank you for finding your two a good home," he says. "You probably saved their lives."

Then Hartley confesses how he feels about having to test his flute on rats (ones, Cisco assumes, that aren't Hartley's pets), and Cisco wants to be closer to Hartley in that moment, careful to step around the scurrying creatures still underfoot as he moves to stand close enough to Hartley to reach out and take his hand. "Maybe there's some more sensitive diagnostics we could do, simulations on the computer," he offers, giving Hartley's fingers a squeeze. "I bet Caitlin would have some ideas if we asked her. Or Harry even, assuming we catch him on a less douche-y day," he adds with a soft laugh.

"I feel like we can figure this out," he says then, more serious. "You and me, maybe eventually Team Flash too," he continues. "You're one of us now, Hartley. I know any of us would be more than happy to help you." He pauses for a moment, looking into Hartley's eyes, feeling another in a long line of little surges of affection. "I want to help, I want to be there for you, for anything. For everything."

[ooc: I hope so too. I would love love love for him to get more involved helping Barry. And I can not wait for him to get a suit, hee! Also I'm sorry again for being so slow. This week has been crazy. I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday.]

Once Galileo starts sniffing at Cisco's hand, Hamelin finally decides to make his way off the couch to find out what's going on, and soon Cisco has all four rats around or on him. Hartley's surprised by how good Cisco is with the rats. Most guys he's tried introducing to his rats hadn't been able to get past the fact that they were, well, rats. It's rare for him to find someone who isn't scared or disgusted by them. Once again, he finds himself glad he chose to give this a chance. "Yeah, I've noticed the tattoos," he says, finally acknowledging that he did indeed take the rats from STAR Labs.

Hartley doesn't say anything else for a moment. He's letting it sink in that Cisco not only seems to not mind that Hartley stole STAR Labs property, but he's also willing to help him learn more about said 'property'. "Thank you," he says, giving Cisco a warm smile. "I have their ID numbers written down. I'll give you the paper I have them written down on in a bit," he says, giving him a grateful look. "I'm glad Caitlin took the others to a rescue and gave them a chance to find a good home. I know a lot of labs prefer to euthanize former animal test subjects. I'm glad that wasn't the case with you guys."

Hartley considers what Cisco says next, wondering if maybe there is a way to to test his flute while also avoiding testing it on animals, at least for a little bit longer. "Eventually testing it on something living will be necessary. There's no way around that," he says, his tone regretful. "But it wouldn't hurt to give your ideas a try before it comes to that," he says, giving Cisco's hand a light squeeze. "Talking to Caitlin might be a good idea. I'm not sure about Harry though. Can we trust him?" he asks.

He's about to say more, but it's all forgotten as Cisco speaks again. Cisco has been surprisingly wonderful all evening, and now he's being so supportive and kind in a way Hartley hasn't experienced in a long time. He's not sure how to tell Cisco just how grateful he is, but perhaps he can show. Hartley's heart races and he holds Cisco's gaze for a moment longer before finally cupping his cheek and leaning in to kiss him on the lips. He hadn't planned for their first kiss to happen while they were surrounded by curious rats, but he just can't help himself any longer. He's wanted to kiss Cisco since before they left the restaurant.

[ooc: I can't wait for Cisco to get a suit either! There's so much potential with him and I hope the writers take advantage of that. And don't worry about being slow! I've been a little slow too. Hopefully now that it's the weekend I'll have more time for tags.]

The last of Hartley's rats, Hamelin, finally joins his brothers in investigating their new visitor, and they all seem calm and curious and not at all agitated by Cisco's presence. Cisco's so glad they don't seem to think he's a threat, partially because he's always believed animals can sense the good (and bad) in people and he's glad he seems to pass muster there, but mostly because he wants to feel welcome here, by Hartley and his pets.

He's even more glad that he can help Hartley with his pets already, even if that's only in pulling the medical and experimentation records for the two rats Hartley took from STAR Labs. "Caitlin would never let that happen," he says when Hartley mentions euthanasia. "Not unless the animals were suffering. I wouldn't either," he adds quickly, because while it had been Caitlin's decision to take the rats to rescue, Cisco would have done the same thing, if it had been left up to him. That or he'd have taken them home himself.

Talking about the flute, Cisco still has a very strong desire to try to convince Hartley to skip any tests he might want to do on animals and just test the flute on him. Some part of him thinks that his powers could protect him, though he really has no idea why he thinks that way. There's no science to what he can do, at least none that he can use to determine what the scope of his powers are. He knows he can manipulate matter and energy, and, because of Reverb, that there are ways he can do it that he hasn't even figured out yet, but he doesn't know what part of him makes that possible. But he feels that if he can project himself into other dimensions, can see things that are going to happen before they do, that some part of him can harness sound and vibration with enough skill and precision to destroy another person's nervous system that he should be able to withstand whatever Hartley's flute could do to him.

But he's not sure how to say all of that to Hartley, not when all Hartley wants to do is keep him – keep anyone – from being hurt. "Harry's... Well, Harry," Cisco replies, and he can't say he trusts Harry because there's a part of him that doesn't at all. Maybe it's Harry's antagonistic personality or the fact that he has Dr. Wells' face, but even as much as he's helped them, Cisco's not sure he won't turn on them eventually. "Maybe we'll just talk to Caitlin about it for now."

There's more to say as far as this conversation goes, but every word Cisco might have used falls out of his brain when Hartley reaches up to touch his face. He holds his breath as their gazes meet, and Cisco gets caught in Hartley's eyes (god, those beautiful, blue eyes). His heart is already thundering in his chest when Hartley closes the distance between them and their lips touch, a gentle brush of soft skin. Even just that first bare contact makes Cisco's world spin on its axis, and Cisco lifts a hand to the back of Hartley's neck, holding softly as he moves to deepen the kiss, making it just a little harder, Cisco's mouth moving to catch Hartley's lower lip between his own.

[ooc: I hope so too! Both Cisco and Carlos have so much to offer this show and I'm always rooting for more character development with the great "side" characters on these shows. I'm failing at weekend so far (it's 3AM), but I hope I can get more on track before Monday. Work is always getting in the way of RP fun. I hope your weekend is going well! Thank you for being so awesome and patient!]

It was weird (a good weird, but weird nonetheless) seeing his rats showing so much interest in someone other than himself. He doesn't really have company often, or at all, so the only time they get to spent time around other people is when he takes them to the vet or the rare occasion when one his slightly more tolerable neighbors takes an interest. But rats really seem to like Cisco. Apparently Hartley wasn't the only one who thought Cisco was a keeper.

"I'm glad," he says after a moment. "One of the reasons I rarely had anything to do with animal test subjects was because I could never get behind euthanizing the healthy ones when they could easily go to a good home instead." He understands some animals need to be put down, especially the ones suffering. Sometimes it's a humane thing to do. But he never saw the sense in killing something healthy and capable of leading a happy life.

Speaking of healthy and happy, he's sure that's something the flute could help with if he could only bring himself to move forward with the necessary experiments. The whole thing had started because he was looking for a new form of pain management (for his tinnitus in the beginning, but now it's about much more than that) and he started looking more deeply into music therapy and hypnotism. Truth be told, he has no logical reason to believe the flute will cause harm to any test subject, human or otherwise. But he can't help but be way anyway. This is new territory for him and fear isn't always logical.

But he's not thinking about any of that right now. All he's thinking about, all he can think about is the warmth of Cisco's face against his hand the lips pressed against his own. It's even better than he hoped it would be, especially when Cisco rests his hand against the back of his neck and deepens the kiss. It's so hard not to get lost in this perfect, addictive moment. He knows it hasn't been long, but it feels like he's been waiting forever for this kiss. Hartley's other hand slides into Cisco's hair, his fingers combing through the soft strands as he presses closer and begins to lose himself in the kiss.

[ooc: I'm so sorry I haven't been around! My niece and her kids are here until tomorrow evening, so it's been hard to get to most of my tags the last couple days. I'll be able to get back on track soon though! I hope you're having a great week!]

The more time Cisco spends with Hartley, the more he realizes what a kind, sensitive soul he is, and it only further drives home why Hartley had been so ready to snap after he'd been rejected not only by his parents but by his mentor (and surrogate father figure) as well. It makes Cisco want to know more about Hartley's childhood, if his parents ever spent time with him and cared for him, or if they did the cliched thing where they hired nannies and tutors to do all of those parental duties for them. Cisco's parents had never been the type to coddle or dote (at least not him), but even as hard as they were on him he'd always felt loved and protected and cared for.

Whatever Hartley's upbringing, there's a part of him that is compassionate and courageous and giving, and even after everything with his family and Dr. Wells those things remain intact. Cisco's getting a front row seat to them tonight, and he wonders if Hartley spent a lot of time keeping others from seeing who he was on the inside, trying to protect himself from being taken advantage of or hurt. The fact that he's letting Cisco see all of that is more of a gift than anything else, and if Cisco wasn't already kissing Hartley, he wouldn't be able to resist showing his gratitude.

But he is kissing Hartley, and it feels amazing in ways Cisco can't make his brain quantify. It gets even better when Hartley sinks his fingers into Cisco's hair, his fingertips grazing Cisco's scalp before sliding through the strands, and Cisco can't help the little moan that rises in the back of his throat. Cisco's hand brushes up the back of Hartley's head, his fingers moving to catch the soft curls at the nape of Hartley's neck, holding them gently as the kiss continues to deepen. Right now it's still only lips involved, but they're shifting and overlapping, pressing in and catching, and it's not long before Cisco can't hold back anymore, his hand flattening on the back of Hartley's head so he can hold him steady, Cisco's mouth pressing in and his tongue reaching to follow the line of Hartley's lower lip. Maybe this is too much too quickly, but Cisco doesn't think it is; if Hartley ends the kiss, he'll back off (and he won't be upset about it), but until that happens (or they run out of breath), Cisco isn't at all interested in stopping.

[ooc: No worries at all! Seriously, I will keep replying to this forever, so don't feel bad if you can't get replies out quickly. I'm not doing so great myself (though mine is mostly due to work stress), so I completely understand. I hope you had fun with your niece and her kids! And that you're getting to relax now that you have your house back to yourself, hee!]

Hartley's not sure what he'd initially been expecting when Cisco asked him on a date, but he's shocked by how well everything has turned out. What at first seemed like a risky and potentially disastrous idea turned out to be one the of the best things to happen to him in a very long time. It's given him the chance to get to know Cisco and learn who he is outside of STAR Labs and away from all the chaos that seems to go hand in hand with dealing with criminals, heroes and metahumans. In one evening Cisco went from someone he can tolerate and even work well with at times to someone he can actually see himself having a future with. Which is surprising on a million different levels, since Hartley hasn't been able imagine himself having any sort of positive future (especially with another person) in a very long time.

But now here he is, taking a chance with someone who not that long ago would have been the last person he would have trusted enough fall head first into a relationship with. A relationship that's off to a pretty good start if the way Cisco's responding to his kiss is anything to go by. Hartley's never had a first kiss grow this intense this quickly before, and he hadn't actually intended for things to progress at such a fast pace. He hadn't had any ulterior motives when he initiated this kiss. But he can't say that he's not pleased about way things are going. It just feels so... right. He wants this, all of it. He wants Cisco's fingers on the back of his neck and his lips warm and firm against his own. He wants to feel Cisco's long, soft hair between his fingers and he wants to give him a reason to moan again. He wants to see where this moment will go.

Hartley's lips part against Cisco's, allowing to kiss to deepen and grow more heated. He's nowhere near ready for this to end yet, so he's choosing to follow Cisco's lead. If Cisco doesn't want this to go too far, he'll understand (he hasn't forgotten that being with a man is still brand new territory for Cisco), but for now he wants to enjoy this for as long as it's allowed to last. And if things do go further between them, well, he certainly won't complain.

[ooc: Thank you for being so patient and understanding! I did have fun while they were here, but it's definitely nice having my house to myself again.]

It isn't until Hartley presses closer, when they both tilt their heads to deepen the kiss, does Cisco think about the fact that he's kissing another guy, and then it's only because he catches just a hint of stubble on Hartley's jaw as his chin brushes it. At the same time he feels the rims of Hartley's glasses press against his cheekbone, and all those two things serve to do is remind him that he's kissing Hartley, the person who's been the object of his crush for the last few months, that this all started because he let himself slip and tell Hartley how he felt. Though that's not exactly true, because Hartley doesn't really know exactly how much he'd been pining, or all the things he's already thought about doing with Hartley (though that was all before he ever imagined it would be a possibility). Faced with some of those things in reality Cisco will probably freak out a little (mostly out of fear of doing them wrong), but kissing is something he can do all day, and kissing Hartley feels like a dream come true.

The other thing is that Hartley isn't backing off. He'd been the one to (smartly) suggest they take things slow, make sure they had a connection before things got physical, and though their chemistry has been incredibly good so far, Cisco's been careful to pay attention to any cues that Hartley might want to take a step back. But, as the kisses continue, Cisco doesn't sense anything but a shared desire to not stop, possibly ever, and soon he loses track of any pretense of pacing, wrapping his arms around Hartley's neck and bringing their bodies even closer together.

By the time Cisco has to pull away to catch his breath they've been kissing deeply for several long minutes. Cisco's mouth is tingling and his heart is thudding in his chest, and though he doesn't move back very far he can see Hartley's lips are red and bee-stung, his face flushed and his eyes dark and half-lidded. Cisco feels like he has electricity running through him, his body trembling as he fights to calm his breathing just a little.

"You are a really, really good kisser," he says, his voice breathless and husky, his gaze moving between Hartley's amazing eyes and his beautiful, kiss bruised lips.

[ooc: Of course! And thank you for the same! I'm enjoying this thread with you very, very much! I'm so glad we found each other to write these two with. <3]

Edited 2016-08-05 08:06 (UTC)

Oddly enough, Cisco's lack of experience with same sex relationships and the possibility that he'll realize kissing (and dating, and sleeping with) other men isn't quite his thing after all isn't his biggest concern at the moment (Cisco appears to be enjoying their kiss, so it's not much of a concern at all). It's their history that still gives him pause. Despite their very successful date and their undeniable chemistry, there's still part of Hartley that worries that Cisco will remember that he's kissing his former rival/enemy and finally come to his senses. But the logical part of him knows that if their past was really going to be an issue, they probably never would have reached this point to begin with, so that fear is disappearing by the second. Which is fortunate, because he's really enjoying this.

It doesn't occur to Hartley until Cisco presses their bodies closer together that there are probably much more comfortable places they could be making out than the floor. His couch (he's trying not to get too far ahead of himself, so he's purposely avoiding thinking about the very comfortable bed in his room) is literally right there in front of them. But that means breaking the kiss and moving, which doesn't seem all that appealing at the moment. Especially since Cisco doesn't seem any more inclined to put an end to this than Hartley is. So that thought falls away to the back of his mind for the time being and he focuses on how good it feels to have Cisco so close. It's been such a long time since he's allowed himself to be intimate with another person like this. Even the simple touch of Cisco's hand against the back of his head makes him feel like his heart is going to pound out of his chest.

But they both need to breathe, so the kissing does end eventually, though the pleasant tingling and the rush of warmth spreading through him are still there. Hartley's heart is still racing in his chest as he tears his gaze away from Cisco's lips to meet his eyes. "Thank you," he murmurs, a warm smile playing at the corner of his lips. "You're a really good kisser too. That was..." Indescribable, really. He isn't sure how to put what he's feeling right now to words.

"Was that okay?" he finally asks instead. "It wasn't too much, was it?"

[ooc: I'm enjoying this thread too! And I love having the chance to explore the relationship between these two. <3 Btw, are you having problems with notifs too? My notifs have been coming really late and some haven't come at all yet.]