“No problem,” she replied, marking his cup and turning it over to her colleague. While she waited for the drink to be prepared, she leaned forward and lowered her voice so as to speak to him personally. “How are you, Cisco?”
“I’ve been better.” Cisco said with a shrug. “How’ve you been, Kendra?” Life had been crazy for the mechanical engineer, he’d hoped that it’d been a bit easier on the woman he’d fallen for many months ago.
Hartley shrugged awkwardly, sitting up as well and rubbing the bridge of his nose. “’S okay. I was pretty messed up. I wasn’t much company. I realized something, though. Our powers sort of look the same but they’re not. My vibrations are sonic waves. Yours channel quantum energies. I can hear ultra-sonic waves which sometimes accompany the vibrations of the universe but are only side effects.” Hartley looked sheepish as he picked at a hangnail. “Hey, you remember when I escaped for the first time from the pipeline? When you were there and you were unconscious? I would have stopped if you were badly hurt. I could hear your heartbeat through the tinnitus. And also I feel bad for kicking you when we went to the police station and you were already down. But I was sort of really mad and like you kept using my disability as a weapon and that really pissed me off because I didn’t ask to be like this, you know? For any of it. If I could I would have stayed Deaf. And like, yeah, it was very clever and I was dangerous or whatever but I don’t know. I just… I thought you were cleverer than that. You had time to create something better and you didn’t. So. Yeah.”
“Yeah, that sucked. I had a major concussion. Caitlin watched me like a hawk for weeks after that. Sorry about the whole weaponizing your disability. That was really low.” He dropped his gaze from the man, biting his nails nervously as he stared at the floor. “Wait, powers? You’re a meta?” He said quietly, bring his gaze up for a second as he continued to chew on his finger.
“No, you need to sleep. That’s what we’re gonna focus on. Finding a way to sleep.” Barry frowned at him before looking up at the bartender and smiling. “Yeah, I’ve got him. Thanks.” He quickly paid Cisco’s bill before taking his elbow gently. “Come on, lets get you home.”
“Sleeps for punks, and I’m notta punk.” Cisco said, turning his head toward Barry as he guided him towards the door. “Can’t I have one more? Once we get home? Oooh! I should text Vi. Tell her we’re gon’ hang out at my place. She’s gotta key. It’s purple!” Cisco really didn’t want to sleep – that meant he had to inevitably face his death, again. He’d avoid sleep for as long as he could before he was running on empty.
Hartley peeked his head out from the ball and his glasses were fogged up. Sheepishly, he patted down his hair over the bandages and lifting his glasses up. “I didn’t mean to be mean.”
A gentle smile spread across Cisco’s face as Hartley poked his head out. “It’s fine. Nothing to fuss over. How are you?” He asked, crossing the the bed and sitting on the edge near Hartley. “I’m really sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up.”
Cisco set the items aside when his phone went off in his pocket, sighing at the man he’d fallen so quickly for. “Hartley, you can’t hide from me forever.” He smiled, picking up the warm food and drink and starting towards what he thought might be bedrooms.
“Yes I can,” Hartley muttered under his breath before clapping a hand over his mouth and responding over text.
yes I can go away im not in the house this is Leonard Snart messing with you ha ha ha don’t you feel stupid.
wait no that was mean im so sorry
Cisco turned his head toward the sound and began following it. “You are such a troll, Hartley Rathaway.” He grinned, glancing at the text message. “It’s a good thing you’re cute.” Cisco turned to a room where there was what looked like a ball of blankets on the bed. But – that ball was breathing. “Found you.” He grinned, leaning against the doorframe.
Cisco set the items aside when his phone went off in his pocket, sighing at the man he’d fallen so quickly for. “Hartley, you can’t hide from me forever.” He smiled, picking up the warm food and drink and starting towards what he thought might be bedrooms.
Hartley groaned as his text tone went off and slowly typed out a response.
ya.
Cisco sighed at the short text and gathered the food and drink before shutting the door with his foot and hitting the lock button on his keys. He walked up to the door and looked from the door handle to his full arms and back to the door several times before rearranging things so he had a free hand. He opened the door and called out to the man. “Hartley? Hartley, where are you?”
Kendra wore her trademark smile as she served cup after cup of coffee to the customers of CC Jitters. For a woman moonlighting as a Hawk-Warrior, she did not look stressed or overly exhausted. It wasn’t until the next customer approached the counter that she looked up in order to meet their gaze. “What’ll it be?” she asked, even if this individual was someone she knew.
“Uh, I’ll have the Flash.” Cisco said, recognizing the woman behind the counter as his somewhat ex. Were they ever together? He didn’t really know.
Hartley was bandaged up and looking horribly broken as he was curled around Cisco’s shirt and pillow in the bed that Len had tucked him into, his nose buried in the scent of Cisco. Hartley had been refusing food and even Griffin couldn’t seem to get him out of his slump. Technically, he was okay to start walking around but the depression that had set in was far worse than the physical repercussions.
Cisco had no idea where Len had taken Hartley to recover, so naturally, he tracked his cell phone. He’d gotten the address and let his GPS take him to the location, some homemade soup and some hot cider sitting in the passenger seat for Hartley. He pulled his phone out and sent Hartley a quick text to make sure he was in the right place.
I think I’m here. [picture of building] Please tell me this is the right place. Or I’m at least close.
Cisco backup