Summary: Hartley left Central City to start over... and to move on from an unrequited crush. All it takes to bring him back, though, are three words.
"Cisco needs you."
Notes: For the Hartmon Bingo Generic Card prompt O1 - Season 3 or 4 related
Run Back To You
Hartley had gone on a date that night. His first with a handsome man he'd met at a bar. Unfortunately, also his last date with the man too.
Michael Fornell had been handsome, charming, witty... at the bar, anyway. At the restaurant he'd turned out to be kind of boring and Hartley had very politely turned down the offer of drinks at Michael's place. Because drinks was definitely code for sex and Hartley just wasn't feeling it.
So having returned to his apartment, far earlier than hoped, Hartley had gone straight to his refrigerator and poured himself a glass of wine. He was just about to take the first drink when his phone rang. Not his regular ring tone, either.
It was the ring tone he'd assigned to STAR Labs and the various members of Team Flash.
He set the glass down and hurried over to grab the cellphone. Team Flash only ever called when it was important.
"Hey Caitlin," he greeted, answering after a brief look at the caller id.
"Not exactly Caitlin," was the response. Caitlin's voice... yet somehow also not. "You can call me Frost for now. I'm trying something new. And, unfortunately, I can't be there for Cisco right now. Barry just got sucked into the Speed Force, possibly permanently, and that's after a friend of ours was killed. I know you left Central with good reason, Hartley. But Cisco needs you."
Hartley's finger's twitched convulsively on his free hand. It was a low blow from Caitlin, or Frost or whoever she was, to say to him. He'd left Central after falling in love with Cisco and realizing the other man would never notice. But Caitlin had known.
So of course she'd know just what to say to make his new job and life in Opal City utterly meaningless.
Cisco needs you.
"What happened?" he demanded. "Details, Cait-Frost. Tell me what I'm walking into."
She laughed.
Cisco's eyes are bloodshot when he opens the door and he smells like alcohol. Hartley just holds up the coffee and tea he'd picked up from Jitters and waves them like talismans to get him past the door. Cisco snatches up the coffee as he lets Hartley inside.
"Why are you back?" Cisco finally asked, some time later when the coffee had been completely drained and he'd returned from being shooed into the bathroom for a quick shower.
"A little bird told me you needed a friend," Hartley replied honestly. "So here I am. What can I do to help?"
And, slowly, something like hope began to dawn in Cisco's eyes.