Summary: Hartley's not used to things working out when he loves someone. So now that he wants to tell Cisco how he feels, he's having a hard time saying the words.

Hartmon Fest 2019:
– Mar 16th - unspoken
– Feb 26th - Hartley character fic

Notes: This could probably count for hurt/comfort too.

Unspoken

The first time Hartley ever told anyone he loved them, it was his parents. He did love them, ever so much. They didn't say it back much. Mostly they watched in judgement and Hartley was always coming up short. And then he turned out to be gay and, well, that was the beginning of the end.

The third person Hartley said 'I love you' to was his sister. Their parents pulled them apart and, despite them trying to stay together through email, now that they're able to meet in person again they still feel like strangers. It's so much easier to tell Jerrie he loves her using words on a screen than his voice.

The fourth person Hartley loved... Earl. Earl who said he loved Hartley too. Who got drunk and who hurt him and cried afterwards, saying he was sorry. So sorry. He'd never do it again. He loved Hartley. If only Hartley wouldn't make him so angry, wouldn't talk back, but surely Hartley knows he didn't mean it?

The fifth person Hartley loved never really cared about him at all, though Hartley never guessed until it was too late. He'd thought he was Harrison's guy. He'd thought... he'd thought he had a home and a lover who'd never leave him, never betray him, never hurt him. But it started with a tiny crack until that certainty eroded to where he was standing outside of STAR Labs, dumped and fired all at once for believing saving lives was worth more than their pride.

And now... now Hartley has people in his life he loves so dearly. He's not really used to having friends that actually like him, not what he can do for them. And Cisco... oh, Cisco...

Hartley grins as Cisco takes in the setup. The lights are low, candles lit on the table, fancy cooked chicken dinner incorporating a Puerto Rican recipe Hartley found through pintrest. It's perfect and tonight... tonight Hartley wants to tell Cisco how he feels.

"Oh, wow, Hartley." Cisco tugged him close and kissed him. "I love you," he murmurs as they part.

Internally, Hartley panics. Because now? Now would be the time to say those words. But he can't. He physically can't say them, like there's a sudden weight on his chest. He can't think, just knowing that his silence will ruin everything...

"It's okay, Hartley, if you're not there yet," Cisco said, blushing. "I just sort of blurted that right out, didn't I?"

"It's, I am there, I just, I can't..." Hartley wants to cry now, because he loves Cisco so much, so why can't he say those words?

Cisco cradles Hartley's face in his hands, gently brushing away a tear with his thumb. "Oh, mi corazón, está bien. Vas a decir esas palabras cuando estés listo. Puedo esperar."

Hartley can't even say what he means in Spanish either. Te amo, I love you... he brings up his hands to cover Cisco's, closing his eyes and leaning into the touch. He put so much work into tonight and now he still can't say the words in his heart.

"Well, I'm starving," Cisco says eventually, letting his hands slide away to settle on Hartley's hips. "We have this wonderful romantic dinner you've made me and... Hartley? I mean it. I can wait. Just because you can't say those words yet doesn't mean you haven't communicated the strength of your feelings." He presses a soft kiss against Hartley's lips. "I can hear you, loud and clear."

Translation Notes:
Oh, mi corazón, está bien. Vas a decir esas palabras cuando estés listo. Puedo esperar.
Oh, my heart, it's alright. You'll say those words when you're ready. I can wait.