{You break down my defenses, you are my only weakness

[myheadisaprison]

PSL with auricular_acuity

Comments

{I think I'm getting attached to you and, darling, it terrifies me

[youcouldbeagod]

Weeks. Paco had been here for w e e k s. Multiple. Plural. Over a month, if he was counting right.

That hadn't been his intention at all when initially meeting with Hartley under the impression he was his doppelgänger. He hadn't intended to end up sleeping with him, even. And once he had, he'd expected it to be a one-off. To be gone the next day before the other had even woken up.

But he'd...stayed. Because he was bored, he told himself, it was nothing more than that and he'd leave as soon as he lost interest.

Except. Of course. He hadn't yet.

He just sort of...stayed. Here. In this terrible apartment with this fascinating man. Living in some stupid bubble that nothing else existed outside of.

But that, he rationalized, too. Because of course he wasn't just wandering this Earth freely. His other self was still here, and he and his buddies at STAR Labs would recognize him. It would be messy and something he wasn't at all looking to deal with. So he didn't. He stayed here instead. It was easier. Less complicated.

Except it was complicated. Probably because Paco was making it that way in his own head, but that's hardly the point. He's noticed lately that he's comfortable here and that bothers him. He hasn't been comfortable anywhere in...well, was he ever, actually? Certainly not in the house he'd grown up in, with parents who were just terrible, nor in the rundown places he'd crashed in the less-than-great parts of his own version of Central City on his Earth.

So. Since he just couldn't have it be so simple because of course not, nothing was ever that simple, and because he never could just accept something descent and good staring him in the face. Today, he decides to say something.

It just....doesn't quite end up like he'd planned.

Hartley had been home for barely an hour when Paco breezes through the apartment toward the too-tiny kitchen where the other man was debating over take-out menus. He glances up when Paco enters the room, but before Hartley has time to even consider asking his opinion, Paco takes a space next to him, leaning against the counter, squinting curiously at him. "Why did you meet with me that first day anyway?" There's no denying the accusatory tone attached to those words, even if there's not exactly any malice behind them. (Yet? Was it a yet? It feels like it should be a yet.)

[auricular_acuity]

Weeks. Paco had been here for w e e k s. And Hartley couldn't remember being happier.

A whole month of actually talking to another human being, one who wasn't, perhaps, as intelligent as Hartley - but at least in the same ballpark. At least capable of making conversation and keeping up.

A whole month of wild, passionate sex, and cuddling, and waking up in the morning to see that nest of dark hair on the pillow next to him, and the sweet face that Paco made when no one was looking, when he was fast asleep and his guard was done.

Hartley had learned his name, and more about the home he came from, and more about what Paco meant when he said he could control the fabric of reality. He had learned what Paco liked to eat from the takeout places nearby. He had gone on innumerable errands, making sure that no one saw Paco's face and realized he was here. Hartley understood without being told that if STAR Labs learned of Paco's presence here, that would be inconvenient.

A month of bliss, but he knew sooner or later it had to all come crashing down - and maybe now should be the time. But he doesn't want it to, not at all.

So he makes an effort to suppress his reflexive irritation at Paco's accusatory tone, and arches a brow. "I was fucking with you, of course."

[youcouldbeagod]

"Right." He can accept that. He'd been doing the same, in that regard anyway. "But you didn't actually know about me." There's an emphasis on that word and the stare he's giving Hartley is probably a little more intense than he's used to getting from him. "You thought I was him." There's a beat before he adds, in an almost disgusted tone, "Cisco."

He lets the idea of where this is going hang in the air between them. There are plenty of other words burning on the end of his tongue, but he wants to wait, judge everything he can about Hartley's reaction at the not-quite-there accusation he's making. See if he makes him say it or reacts first.

[auricular_acuity]

Hartley can tell that this is some kind of test. He's been through a lot of them in his life - in his love life, specifically - and he holds Paco's gaze fearlessly. Though in truth, his heart is pounding nervously at the fear that he might not pass.

"You're correct," he says calmly, chin raised. "At first, I thought you were Cisco Ramon, and then I learned otherwise. What's your point?"

Whatever Paco thinks he's accusing him of, Hartley feels it's probably best to simply get it on the table. If Paco thought he was going to get Hartley on the defensive, frantically denying non-specific accusations, he was wrong - Hartley knows that's merely a recipe for getting Hartley to accidentally admit to something, and thereby giving Paco a reason to be angry.

[youcouldbeagod]

He's a bit thrown by how calm he is, but it doesn't show on the outside. Paco's got a far better poker face than his counterpart on this Earth, who doesn't seem to have one at all, which is kind of disappointing, if he's honest.

Anyway.

"You were still under that assumption when you invited me back here. Right?" Whether he thought something was weird was going on by then or not really didn't matter to Paco, but he assumes Hartley will probably inform him of much either way.

[auricular_acuity]

Hartley cocks his head. Yes, he figured that Paco was going to go there, so he isn't thrown. He's uncertain why this has come right now, but he's determined to keep his poise.

He suddenly grins, a little affectionate and a lot smug, and leans a little closer to his boyfriend - boyfriend? Yes, he does like that term for now - "Why, Paco... are you jealous of Cisco Ramon?"

[youcouldbeagod]

That smug grin doesn't really do Hartley any favors just now. Mostly because Paco is kind of an irrational idiot sometimes. The shift in his features is subtle, but sharp as his eyes snap toward Hartley, "No." There's nothing too forceful about the word, even if it took a lot more to keep himself this steady and even right now. "I just think it's what you wanted. He's what you wanted."

He leans back a little and manages to make it look more casual than the creation of space that it really is, arms folding across his chest. "You knew him... can't tell me you didn't consider it, at least once." And it didn't matter what Hartley's answer was, because both of them were the wrong one. If he denied it, he was a liar, and if he admitted it, he was playing directly into where Paco was leading with all this.

[auricular_acuity]

Despite his best efforts, Paco had gotten him backed into a corner. Hartley saw that his attempt to be charming hadn't really done much to assuage Paco's concerns.

He shook his head, resting his chin on a hand. "I wouldn't try to deny it, because it's true. I'd have fucked him, if he'd let me. The day I invited you over wasn't the first time I'd flirted with him." He arched a brow. "Does that really surprise you? I'm attracted to you, so naturally I'm also attracted to him."

[youcouldbeagod]

"No," he says again, a little firmer this time than he wanted it to be. "I'm not surprised. But it is kind of suspicious."

Those words hang in the air between them until finally, he moves from the place he'd rooted himself to, stepping around the counter to the other side where Hartley is standing. When he wants to, Paco really does have the art of intimidation down--and the power to back it, really. And it's pretty clear that's what he's going for right now, though whether it's successful or not is up to Hartley.

"I'm perfectly fine with being the one to fulfil a fantasy you wouldn't get otherwise," Harsh, Paco, calm down. "but I'd at least like to be aware of it. I'm nobody's placeholder and I don't settle for being second best."

[youcouldbeagod]

Since his completely unnecessary freak out at Hartley, things had fallen into a sort of routine again. But routine was kind of a problem for a guy like Paco. If he stayed in the same repetitive day-to-day, he would find himself bored and restless. And being on this Earth made doing anything half-way interesting almost impossible.

He drops down onto the couch next to Hartley, one arm draped casually on Hartley's shoulder. "Ever wanted to go see another Earth?" His eyes light up with a bit of mischief.

[auricular_acuity]

Hartley wouldn't mind some kind of distraction, though wiling away his days working on his projects and snuggling with Paco made him the happiest he'd been in years.

He blinks at Paco, recognizing that look in his eye as something that might herald something great. The look is not unlike something he'd seen on Cisco's face, actually, though he doesn't intend to let Paco know that.

He arches a brow. "I'll bite - why?"

[youcouldbeagod]

"Because," He shrugs one shoulder, "I'm bored. And I wanna go do something. And I can't really do anything here, so..." It was blunt, but that was sort of his style. "I literally have the multiverse at my fingertips, we should take a day trip or two."

[auricular_acuity]

Hartley reached out and slung his arms casually around Paco's shoulders. "Are you asking me out on a date?" he purred, strongly suspecting that he was grinning just a bit like a fool.

[youcouldbeagod]

He's thrown a bit by the question, and despite himself it's evident on his face, but it's only a second before he recovers, a smirk passing over his lips. "Yeah, I guess I am." As weird as it feels to label it that way, he doesn't completely hate it, either.

He's been trying to work on how terribly he reacts to things that should be considered normal for two people in their situation. Dating. For two people who were dating. Were they dating? God, he doesn't know, he hates thinking too deeply on it, still. But he doesn't hate considering Hartley his boyfriend. Quietly. To himself, in his head.

The working on things bit is still a heavy work in progress.

[auricular_acuity]

Hartley's own smile brightens at the acknowledgement. He knows Paco's pretty sensitive about this stuff, though he hasn't yet felt out all the edges where Paco tends to get prickly.

He...thinks they're dating? Boyfriends? Something? Hell, they're practically living together at this point, so there has to be some kind of label that applies.

"Great," he says, and plants a kiss on his nose, then untangles himself and gets up. Going to a new world, he's got to pack a few things. "How long will we go for?"

[youcouldbeagod]

He crinkles his nose at the action, but it's accompanied by a soft chuckle as he watches Hart get to his feet. He shrugs, "How long d'ya wanna go? I've got all the time in the world." A beat. "In every world, even." He smirks. He's hilarious, shut up.

[auricular_acuity]

Hartley pauses in the doorway to his bedroom, then glances back at Paco, his brows furrowed. "There's someone who looks like me in your world, right? Do you know anything about him?"

[youcouldbeagod]

The next day had a strange way of both dragging and flying by too quickly all at once. Paco wanted to get on with it, get everything over with and be done with this world's Hartley. But time moved at its own pace and he spent the greater part of the day with his Hart, making plans about how best to go about introducing this idea of hiring him out for protection to his parents. They might object, and they needed all the counter-arguments in place if they did.

But eventually, finally it's game time and Paco makes his way to meet the other Hartley for their little dinner date. Maybe it wouldn't be a drag, maybe he could fly through it and put all of this behind him.

"Am I late?" He'd made a point of not putting Hartley off like he had at the club. He'd lured him and played aloof, but now he had to keep that interest and he couldn't be quite so disinterested this time.

[auricular_acuity]

Hartley's dressed up a little differently than the night before. He dressed in black, with more of an emphasis on leather, and some eyeliner - a look a bit more reminiscent of Reverb's own than his usual somewhat more preppy attire.

He grins as he spots his date and rises, gesturing to the seat opposite him. The steakhouse is nice, if not quite as nice as some. "No, you're right on time. I ordered a bottle - I hope you like it. But I haven't even had a chance to really look at the menu."

He seats himself, smile twisting. "Our room should please you, too. I got the Presidential suite."

[youcouldbeagod]

He hides his amusement at the switch up in Hartley's style, though it's not overly dramatic it's certainly noticeable. "I'm sure you chose perfectly."

He sits down and doesn't bother hiding the smirk that statement brings to his lips. Paco is more ready to get to that part of their evening than anything else. "You're just pulling out all the stops, aren't you?"

[auricular_acuity]

"I do want our evening to be enjoyable," Hartley says cheerfully. He doesn't want to see Paco bail on him early, like he did yesterday, and he still isn't sure that he believes Paco's reasons for bailing.

The waitress comes by and pours their wine, and Hartley raises it. "To a nice evening?"

[youcouldbeagod]

A genuine smile touches Paco's lips as he raises his glass in a toast with Hartley. "To a nice evening," he echoes before taking a careful sip of the wine.

[auricular_acuity]

The dinner proceeds nicely. Hartley chatters about some of the projects he's working on, and cautiously asks some questions, though he is careful not to delve too deeply into any sensitive subjects. He does ask Paco what kinds of things he likes, though, and they demolish two steaks and a bottle of wine.

He's feeling pleasantly fuzzy by the time dinner is over, and he grins at the other man. "Care to head upstairs for a nightcap?"

[youcouldbeagod]

As dates go, it would probably be a good one if Paco had actually been more invested. As it is, it's not terrible and now that dinner is over, his interest is piqued again.

"I would love that." Now, everything is coming to a head and he's tense with anticipation. He follows Hartley up to the room he's booked for them, barely containing his excitement on the elevator ride up. Luckily, Hartley will assume it's for an entirely different reason

[auricular_acuity]

Wow, Reverb does seem to be excited. That's exciting, all on its own. As he sees the other man all but vibrating in the elevator, Hartley takes a moment to slip an arm around him and nibble on his neck - a promise of what's to come.

"Mmm, been thinking about you all day," he purrs, and gives the metahuman's earlobe a tug with his teeth.