Notes: From Tumblr "gender-luster asked: i am in my blorbo feels and asking for a short, post season 2 ep 11, hurt/comfort, cisco fic, with either harry or hartley (bc i adore everytime you write flashback universe hartley) (either romantic or platonic idc. i just know that cisco deserves a hug after nearly phasing out of the universe)"

Both is good, right? Anyway, here's version 2.0 with Hartley Rathaway.

(If you'd like to request a fic yourself, please head over to my tumblr - kitkatt0430 - and send an ask. I do not accept fic requests that are not sent through tumblr and do not respond to comments here on ffnet.)

Hold Me

Hartley had a plan for the evening. He'd take Cisco to that little hole in the wall near his place that they both liked so much, have a nice dinner, go for a walk through the park on the way back to Hartley's and... he'd ask Cisco to move in with him.

They'd been dating for seven months and they'd firmly put their pre-accelerator explosion past behind them. Cisco's stuff had been slowly migrating to Hartley's apartment of the last few months. Not that Hartley didn't have some of his stuff at Cisco's, but they spent more time at Hartley's. And they'd been talking circles around the idea of having a single, shared living space for a while now.

But now Hartley wanted to do more than just talk about it. He wanted to look at places with Cisco and find one they both liked. He wanted to stop clarifying his place or Cisco's place. He wanted them to live at their place. To have his things and Cisco's things and the new things they'd buy together intermingled in every room.

And then Cisco vibes Eobard Thawne. Barry captures Thawne, saves Dr. McGee, and the potential paradox this creates nearly kills Cisco. Instead of dinner together at Dos Charros, they have Big Belly Burger in the cortex with Harry, Caitlin, and Barry. It's not remotely what Hartley had planned for the evening at all.

But... the thing is, while Hartley knows he could wait for another night, he doesn't want to wait. Eobard Thawne was not stopping Hartley from finding happiness. Not anymore.

"I can look after him tonight, Caitlin. He can come home with me," Hartley insisted.

Cisco nodded effusively. "Absolutely. Come on, Caitlin." He batted his eyes at her teasingly, "let me have my boyfriend cuddles tonight. Hartley helps me sleep better."

Hartley grinned, blushing a bit as he kissed Cisco's cheek. "Aww, I sleep better when you're there too," he murmured for Cisco's ears only.

"Alright. But no exerting yourselves tonight," Caitlin commanded, giving them an arch look. "Take it easy and rest."

"Yes ma'am," Cisco agreed, giving her a little mock salute. "No getting frisky, cuddling only."

Caitlin rolled her eyes and patted Hartley's shoulder. "He's lucky he's cute, isn't he?"

Hartley nodded, faux solemnly. "Very."

"Hey!" Cisco grumbled.

Wrapping his arms around Cisco's shoulders and just... reveling in the sound of his steady breathing and heartbeat, Hartley said, "come on Cisquito. Let's go home."

The moment the door shut behind them, Hartley pulled Cisco into another hug. Just the two of them standing some place that felt safe and Hartley... "I almost lost you today."

"I'm right here," Cisco murmured softly, holding tightly to Hartley in return. "I'm right here with you."

"I love you." It's new for Hartley to be saying that. It's hard for him to say those words, especially after what happened with Harrison. Or Eobard, actually.

Cisco kissed Hartley's cheek. "Love you too. Mi corazón."

They were both punny dorks, really. Hartley grinned and buried his face against Cisco's neck even as he reached up to start stroking Cisco's soft, silky hair. "We should move in together."

"Alright," Cisco agreed easily. "Were you thinking here? Or us getting a new place together?"

"Well, for two this isn't a bad space. But my super secret plans with Jerrie are for her to move in with me when she graduates in the spring. So. New place big enough for three?"

"I could move in here with you while we look for a bigger place," Cisco offered. "Just... don't like sleeping alone anymore. I was actually planning to ask this weekend."

"Well, great minds and all that," Hartley pulled back, pecking a kiss on Cisco's nose just for the delight of seeing him go cross-eyed for a moment. "Let's do that, then. We can stick whatever we don't have space for here in storage until we find a bigger place."

"And donate whatever we decide not to keep," Cisco agreed brightly for a moment, before growing a bit more somber. "I saw a lot of things when I..." he swallowed hard and Hartley had no doubt that tonight he'd be helping to soothe away Cisco's nightmares. "But I saw us happy and that... helped me not lose myself in all that mess and chaos. You anchored me. I could... I could feel you holding my hand."

"You were going transparent and I was so scared you were going to just sink right through the cot," Hartley admitted, drawing back and taking Cisco's hands in his. "I could see through your hands to the blanket underneath and I..." his voice choked off for a second, Cisco squeezing his hands in concern.

Seemed that Cisco might be helping Hartley with his own nightmares too.

"I took your hand," Hartley continued quietly, "and I could see you again. Not through you, but just... you. I thought I was being silly thinking you could feel me through all the noise of the paradox."

"Not silly. I think that's exactly what happened. You held my hand and kept me here where I belong." Cisco leaned forward, drawing Hartley into a gentle kiss. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be than with you. I always want to wake up to you."

"Shower, pajamas, snuggles?" Hartley offered.

"Shower?" Cisco waggled his eyebrows teasingly.

"Pretty sure I recall you promising Caitlin we weren't gonna be frisky tonight."

"Party pooper," Cisco pouted.

"Just want to keep you with me forever and ever." Hartley liked the way Cisco blushed and stepped forward to curl back into Hartley's arms.

"Me too."