Paco nods along, gives noncommittal responses--what? are there cameras or bugs in the elevator? He has no idea, but he'll do his part to make this whole job opportunity idea seem as real as possible. Involuntarily and in pure, real reaction, his nose crinkles at the mention of fingerprints. Well, he'd do it if he had to, but he wasn't going to like it.
He follows Hartley down the hall and into the office. "No cameras?" He repeats, glancing a little suspiciously around the room. He makes sure the blinds on the windows are shut and turns the lock on the door.
Once he's satisfied, he moves to where Hartley is sitting practically slumped in the desk chair. With his knee, he pushes himself to stand between Hartley's legs, leaning one arm forward to rest on the back of the chair. "Good," he mumbles softly, taking what feels very much like a risk in this building, and kissing him softly. He can't help it, he lived for that little thrill of doing something wrong for so long, it's hard to deny the pleasure in it, even now.
But he doesn't linger, he pushes himself back to an upright position and drags a chair close to plop down in himself. "Your dad's pretty intense..." He's close enough he can reach Hartley's chair with his foot, he smirks and catches his boot under it and tugs it close enough he can rest his foot at the edge of Hartley's seat. Sorry, baby, he might be falling into some old, limit-pushing habits, here. "He threatened me."
Hartley is pretty sure there aren't actually bugs in the elevators, but there are definitely cameras, and he just doesn't want to risk the possibility that someone could read a word or two on his lips. It's not worth the risk, not when things are still so tenuous.
Now, after he executes the next phase of his plan - solidifying his position and ensuring that even if his parents find out, they can't do anything about it - then he won't care.
He hums with pleasure and relief as Paco kisses him, and seems revitalized by the gesture. He looks up at his lover with interest as the other man sits opposite him, and grins as Paco pulls him close. He doesn't mind some limit pushing here, where the door is locked - in fact, it's exciting.
His expression darkens at Paco's words, though he's not surprised. "What did he say?"
Paco is pleased that Hartley seems fine with the little flirts he's pulling out right now. He can't help it, it's just fun. Once things are more settled and solidified, he can't deny he might up that game, if Hart would let him. But... well, he'll worry about that later.
"Just that if I hurt you, he'll hunt me down." He doesn't seem phased or at all bothered by the threat, and he's casual when he repeats it, like he's recalling a weather report he'd seen earlier on the morning news.
"How long has it been?" He asks suddenly, tilting his head slightly. "Before all this... how long since you'd seen them? Spoken to them?" He's just curious. They didn't talk about either of their parents much, but it seems a bit more relevant on Hartley's end at this point.
Hartley's smile fades and he glances down at his hands, lying loosely in his lap. "Nearly five years since they threw me out on my ear and told me I wasn't their son."
"Five years..." He echoes, nodding a little. It's been longer than that for him, but that was his choice, not his hand being forced. Even if at the time it had felt that way. "What was it like, seeing him again? And is your mother so...pleasant?" He'd like to know what to expect in the inevitable eventual moment that meeting takes place.
Hartley feels like squirming at the questions, but he feels he owes Paco honest answers. It does feel good that Paco cares enough to ask - they've both spent a long time not prying into each other's pasts and feelings.
"My mother... she went along with what my father wanted. She always goes along with my father." He draws a breath and squeezes his hands into fists. "It's hard seeing him again. I want to hate him."
He does care. He cares to know what he's getting into, but...he also cares about what this is doing to Hartley, too. He's not sure he could face his parents like this, proper versions or another world's versions, it wouldn't make much difference, he isn't sure he could separate it.
And it doesn't sound like Hartley's doing much better at it, honestly.
Paco leans forward on his knees, reaching to close his hand over the top of one of Hartley's fists. "Maybe this wasn't the brilliant plan we thought it was." His voice is quiet, careful. He isn't doubting Hartley's ability to commit to it--and he doesn't quite realize it might sound that way--but more...what cost it has on him. Pretending to be loyal to someone you hate...isn't easy. Paco knows that fact quite intimately himself.
Hartley relaxes under Paco's hand, but tenses again at his words. He looks up, brows furrowing and a touch of defensiveness creeping into his eyes. This was his plan, and it's been a dream of his to walk back into Rathaway Industries and take over since he was put out on his ear.
But if Paco doesn't want to be here, he doesn't want to push him into dealing with Hartley's selfish plan. "What's wrong?"
He feels him tense up again and he knows he did something...said something? that caused it, but he isn't really connecting the dots and the confusion shows on his face, in his eyes.
"What do you mean? Nothing." Even to his own ears, his words sound defensive, which wasn't his intention or the best reaction probably. "Hart, I spent...so long...pleading loyalty to someone who I hated with every fiber of my being, because of what he held over me. And I don't know if I would have done it any different, if the circumstances were the same, but..." He shrugs, and it's not a cast-off more than it's a genuinely helpless gesture, "it ruined me, in a lot of ways that I can't get back."
Finally, his eyes find Hartley's again, his hand squeezing Hartley's gently. "Just...promise me you won't sacrifice yourself for this, okay? If it's too much...if dealing with them is ever too much...we, we'll find another way." He isn't really sure what brought on such a wave of raw emotion, but the words are there now, and he can't take any of it back. And he's not sure he would if he could anyway.
Hartley really isn't sure where Paco is going with this. He watches him uncertainly as he talks, then his eyes widen as Paco expresses his concern.
He draws a breath and lets it out, then squeezes Paco's hand tightly, breaking into a smile. "The day I met you was the luckiest day of my life, you know that? I couldn't ask for a better partner."
Suddenly, he's incredibly glad he has his goggles on because as much as he's opened up with Hartley, there are some things that are just very ingrained in him to think in certain ways-- like crying means weakness. And while he isn't exactly crying, his eyes are definitely wet with that little admission. The only outward sign of it hitting him at all is the grip he has on Hartley's hand tightening. He can't even find words to speak and it bothers him but he can't help it, he's not sure he's ever meant so much to anyone, ever.
"I don't know what I would do without you." He says softly.
Hartley doesn't know what he was hoping for, but what he got was enough. He squeezes back and leans closer to kiss Paco. "Then let's get to work," he whispers against Paco's lips. "With our hostile takeover of my father's company."
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Date: 2017-04-16 08:51 pm (UTC)He follows Hartley down the hall and into the office. "No cameras?" He repeats, glancing a little suspiciously around the room. He makes sure the blinds on the windows are shut and turns the lock on the door.
Once he's satisfied, he moves to where Hartley is sitting practically slumped in the desk chair. With his knee, he pushes himself to stand between Hartley's legs, leaning one arm forward to rest on the back of the chair. "Good," he mumbles softly, taking what feels very much like a risk in this building, and kissing him softly. He can't help it, he lived for that little thrill of doing something wrong for so long, it's hard to deny the pleasure in it, even now.
But he doesn't linger, he pushes himself back to an upright position and drags a chair close to plop down in himself. "Your dad's pretty intense..." He's close enough he can reach Hartley's chair with his foot, he smirks and catches his boot under it and tugs it close enough he can rest his foot at the edge of Hartley's seat. Sorry, baby, he might be falling into some old, limit-pushing habits, here. "He threatened me."
no subject
Date: 2017-04-16 09:00 pm (UTC)Now, after he executes the next phase of his plan - solidifying his position and ensuring that even if his parents find out, they can't do anything about it - then he won't care.
He hums with pleasure and relief as Paco kisses him, and seems revitalized by the gesture. He looks up at his lover with interest as the other man sits opposite him, and grins as Paco pulls him close. He doesn't mind some limit pushing here, where the door is locked - in fact, it's exciting.
His expression darkens at Paco's words, though he's not surprised. "What did he say?"
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Date: 2017-04-16 09:09 pm (UTC)"Just that if I hurt you, he'll hunt me down." He doesn't seem phased or at all bothered by the threat, and he's casual when he repeats it, like he's recalling a weather report he'd seen earlier on the morning news.
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Date: 2017-04-16 10:00 pm (UTC)He shakes his head, scowling. "I can't say I'm surprised... though I suppose it's nice that he gives a shit. Too bad he only cares about a lie."
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Date: 2017-04-16 10:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-04-16 10:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-04-17 03:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-04-19 04:23 am (UTC)"My mother... she went along with what my father wanted. She always goes along with my father." He draws a breath and squeezes his hands into fists. "It's hard seeing him again. I want to hate him."
no subject
Date: 2017-04-20 02:26 am (UTC)And it doesn't sound like Hartley's doing much better at it, honestly.
Paco leans forward on his knees, reaching to close his hand over the top of one of Hartley's fists. "Maybe this wasn't the brilliant plan we thought it was." His voice is quiet, careful. He isn't doubting Hartley's ability to commit to it--and he doesn't quite realize it might sound that way--but more...what cost it has on him. Pretending to be loyal to someone you hate...isn't easy. Paco knows that fact quite intimately himself.
no subject
Date: 2017-04-26 01:10 am (UTC)But if Paco doesn't want to be here, he doesn't want to push him into dealing with Hartley's selfish plan. "What's wrong?"
no subject
Date: 2017-04-26 01:38 am (UTC)"What do you mean? Nothing." Even to his own ears, his words sound defensive, which wasn't his intention or the best reaction probably. "Hart, I spent...so long...pleading loyalty to someone who I hated with every fiber of my being, because of what he held over me. And I don't know if I would have done it any different, if the circumstances were the same, but..." He shrugs, and it's not a cast-off more than it's a genuinely helpless gesture, "it ruined me, in a lot of ways that I can't get back."
Finally, his eyes find Hartley's again, his hand squeezing Hartley's gently. "Just...promise me you won't sacrifice yourself for this, okay? If it's too much...if dealing with them is ever too much...we, we'll find another way." He isn't really sure what brought on such a wave of raw emotion, but the words are there now, and he can't take any of it back. And he's not sure he would if he could anyway.
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Date: 2017-04-28 04:06 am (UTC)He draws a breath and lets it out, then squeezes Paco's hand tightly, breaking into a smile. "The day I met you was the luckiest day of my life, you know that? I couldn't ask for a better partner."
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Date: 2017-04-28 04:48 am (UTC)"I don't know what I would do without you." He says softly.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-09 01:24 am (UTC)