Hartley met Iris at Jitters after work. Because to the team, Jitters was the only cafe in Central City. He sat on the chair opposite to her and greeted her. She smiled back, already drinking her 'Flash'.
"You and Cisco have been spending quite a bit of time together, I see", she pointed out, winking at him.
"Yes. Friends have a tendency to spend time together. They might enjoy it, even, God forbid", Hartley replied sarcastically.
"Yes they do. Just like we do now", Iris beamed, unaffected by his response.
"I know what you mean Iris, and you and I both know that we don't even know if Cisco swings my way, let alone whether he swings my way."
"Is it impossible to just ask him if he does?"
"Without ruining our friendship or forever making things weird? Yes."
"After almost dying, I would think you'd be more interested in living life to the fullest. Taking chances. Or just the one chance."
"He feels bad because I almost died. I don't want to take advantage of his feelings of guilt." Hartley moped.
"So, you are not going to make a move on Cisco. Are you ready to move on to someone else?" Iris commanded, seeming like she had had an idea.
"No. But I could be ready to have some fun for a change. It's been a while since I went on a date", Hartley uttered, feeling a little embarrassed.
"In that case, how about we all go out tonight?" Iris asked him. "This notable rich bachelor is hosting a glorious evening at this hotel", she added. Hartley stared at her. "Glorious?"
"It's a costume party. All the big names of the city have been asked to join the party and the idea is for the single people to meet with Venetian masks on, and then retire to rooms provided by the rich guy. Of course, everybody's STI status is checked at the door, so this doesn't end up in a chlamydia outbreak", Iris finished, surprising Hartley.
"Wow, Iris, I had no idea you were into this stuff?" Hartley pretended to sound shocked, and Iris just shook her head. "Of course I won't participate, I'm with Barry now. But you and Cisco are both single, you could find someone at the party. I'm not suggesting that you go out and screw someone's brain out, I'm just saying that it could be fun to meet people there. The sex stuff is completely optional."
Hartley chuckled. "Well, I guess at the end of the day it's just a party like any other. It could be fun. Do we need to go shopping before or-?"
"The outfits and masks are all provided by the party. The guy who's running the party wanted everyone to have similar clothes."
"Why don't you just say his name?" Hartley observed.
"That's the reason I'm going to the party. My editor wants to find out who the guy is. Nobody knows, even though all the celebrities, including the Flash have been invited. It's a real mystery."
"Ah, I knew that it had to be something like that", Hartley laughed. "The girl scout Iris West would never venture into a party like that otherwise."
Iris started to protest, but then simply uttered "Maybe we'll all find something new about ourselves while we're there", and smiled.
Barry surprised Cisco by poking him in the arm. Cisco had spent maybe 20 minutes staring into nothingness, thinking about something other than the project he was supposed to be working on. Or rather, someone else.
"Oh hi, Barry. Did you need this for tonight? I can rush it, I've just been...distracted lately. But I can make it by six if you need it", Cisco promised.
"Nuh, that's okay. Did Iris tell you about the party?" Barry asked, looking very conspicuous.
"You mean the orgy?" Cisco queried. "It doesn't really seem like my kind of scene."
"You mean a party? You love parties", Barry teased. He then grew more serious. "You might even meet someone special there."
I have someone special. He just...doesn't like me back, Cisco thought. He said so himself.
"Look, Cisco, I know."
"Know what?"
"About this thing, between you and Hartley."
Cisco looked Barry intently for a while, then turned to look away. He stood up and circled around once to hid his face. "There is nothing going on between us." He then looked back to Barry, who didn't seem convinced.
"I'm not blind Cisco. Hartley may not be my favorite person in the world due to obvious reasons, but he has been a big help since he joined us and he did save your life. It wouldn't be strange for you to develop feelings for him. I wouldn't blame you. I'd - I understand." Barry's face didn't look very understanding, but Cisco knew he was doing his best for his sake.
"He told me he wasn't interested in me that way. So it doesn't matter how I feel." Cisco sat back down again, ready to resume his brooding.
"When did he tell you this? Was it maybe before you started spending most of your free time together?" Barry asked, looking like the smart ass Cisco knew him to be.
"Well, yeah, but..."
"Interesting", Barry interrupted him. He was teasing him, Cisco knew it.
"Stop. I'll come to the stupid party. Just stop hassling me about it."
"Great. Hartley's picking us up after work tomorrow evening." Barry grinned and walked away smiling.
Cisco sighed. Maybe the party would take his mind off things, and Hartley. Mostly Hartley.
They arrived early to the hotel, which was a good thing considering that a long line started forming right after they entered. They were escorted to separate changing rooms, which would all lead to the hall where the party was to mainly take place. Because there were so many people there and since the idea was to mostly mingle and meet new people, they agreed to go their separate ways and meet by the car at the end of the night. Cisco headed to the changing room and found a purple costume waiting for him. Despite the strangeness of the attire, he managed to put it on. The mask he was to wear had feathers on it, and it was colored with white and purple stones. As he put the mask on, he discovered that it only covered the top half of his face. He put his normal clothes on a bag that he then handed to one of the valets waiting outside the changing rooms, who then handed him a chip with a number on it.
The hall was huge. Even with the number of people already in it, there was still room for at least a few hundred more. And those few hundred were soon coming in, at least based on the crowd near the changing rooms. Cisco looked around to see if he could spot his friends, even though they had agreed to mingle alone, but there were too many people in the way. He shrugged, and started walking around the place.
Hartley had gotten a yellow suit, and his mask was black with yellow stones on it. Remarkably, the mask somehow worked with his glasses, so he didn't feel this crushing weight on top of them wearing it. His leg still hurt a little when he walked. He doubted that he would have much luck with dating, considering that his leg looked awful with the burn marks on it. But he figured he could try meeting some new people while he was at it. He had been to these types of parties before, back when he was still in his parents' good graces. Of course there hadn't been orgies, but the costume parties were a big hit among his rich friends, when he still had them.
Actually, now that he looked at the crowd more closely, he could even recognize some of his old friends. Of course, they didn't see him, but it was better that way. He had nothing against them, but he wasn't interested in hearing their condolences over his parents' treatment of him. It was over. He was over it. Almost. Someday.
He turned away, and noticed a familiar black wisp of hair. He approached the owner of the hair, and found his way next to him. It was definitely Cisco. He decided to joke around a little and said, with a very low voice: "Hi there, gorgeous."
Cisco's eyes flew wide open. He didn't know what to say. Hartley was next to him, his glasses being a dead giveaway, and he was pretty sure he was hitting on him. He clearly didn't know he was talking to Cisco. Should he tell him it was him? Before he could decide, Hartley asked, still using that weird low voice: "Are you single?"
Hartley was about to reveal the jest to Cisco and laugh when Cisco suddenly leaned in and whispered "For tonight, I am." He then winked at Hartley, and started walking towards the table where the keys for the rooms were. He grabbed one of the keys and started walking towards the room it was intended for.
Hartley was taken aback. Was this really Cisco? Or was there a metahuman out there, reducing people's inhibitions? Either way, he really should follow Cisco, and make sure he didn't hurt himself. He watched Cisco open the door and then go inside, urging him to follow along. He closed the door behind him.
Cisco felt sudden exhilaration. Maybe it would be nice, taking a break from being just him for a night and pretending to be someone else. Brooding had been so taxing. This could possibly be a way for him to have something other than dreams from Hartley. He felt a sudden twinge of guilt. Although it was wrong leading Hartley on like this. Hartley clearly thought he was someone else. "Wait."
"Cisco. Are you alright? Is it a metahuman?" Hartley inquired, and took off his mask, revealing his handsome face.
Cisco froze. He felt cold. He took off his mask as well. "Is what a metahuman?"
"That's making you act this way. Flirtatious and asking me to this room with you."
"You were the one who started it!" Cisco yelled. He wasn't mad, but it felt better to pretend he was so he wouldn't think about the fact that Hartley would believe that a metahuman had taken over his will over Cisco genuinely wanting him. That probably hurt him the most.
"It was a joke. I'm sorry, I thought you knew it was me", Hartley apologized, looking really sad.
"I did know. These stupid masks cover less than Barry's stupid mask and we always know it's him don't we?" Yelling felt good. He wasn't really mad at Hartley so much as at himself and his inability to fall for someone who wanted him back.
"Then why did you flirt back?" Hartley asked, looking incredulous.
"Because I thought you didn't know it was me", Cisco shouted. "Because I didn't know that a metahuman mindcontrolling me into flirting with you was more believable to you than me just being into you!"
Hartley stared at him, dumbfounded. After shouting the last few words, Cisco looked like he was about to cry. Hartley was worried about him. He took a step toward him, but Cisco flinched and backed away. "Don't."
He walked to the bed and sat on the other side, facing away from Hartley.
"Okay. I'm not coming to touch you. I will just...sit on the other side of the bed, okay?" Hartley asked quietly. Cisco nodded, and emitted an inaudible sound. He took that to mean it was okay. So he sat on the other side, facing away from Cisco's back, his feet on the floor.
"I… I lied to you Cisco. I'm truly sorry. But I did."
"It's okay", Cisco sighed.
"No, I don't mean just now. I mean back when we were on the cliff."
"Oh?", Cisco uttered, sounding like he was expecting something worse to come out of his mouth any minute now.
"When I told you to go first, back when the building was on fire… it wasn't because you were worth more to the world, although I was being truthful when I said it was because I was selfish. It was because you are worth more to me. I needed you to live. Not because the world needs you, but because I do." Hartley breathed in and out a few times. This type of brutal honesty about his feelings was very new to him, and it was physically taxing as well. "I treasure you, Cisco. I want you. I love you."
Cisco was quiet for a long while. He was mentally rearranging several memories to see how they fit with the new information. He wasn't sure of the result, but it didn't matter. Not now. He uttered every syllable as if they were the most important words he had ever spoken. "I love you too."
Neither one spoke for a while. They both felt a warm sensation in their chest.
Suddenly Barry ran into the room in his Flash suit. "Cisco, Hartley! This was all a set up to rob the richest of the city. I disarmed the robbers, but the crowd is going wild with panic and we need to evacuate them."
He then realized that both of his friends were sitting on a bed, facing away from each other, and both looking kind of emotional. "Wait, why are you guys even here?"
They both stood up. "Were you two going to-? Wait, I don't want to know." He wooshed away, and then came back just as fast. "But like, could you help with the evacuation? There's like a lot of people there." Then he wooshed away again.
Cisco chuckled a little, then wiped a tear off his face. Hartley smiled too, and opened the door for Cisco. Cisco nodded to him, and when they were back in the hall, he held out his hand. Hartley reached out and took it, and they walked hand in hand to face the ongoing chaos.