"I know," he says quietly with a sad smile, "and I know what that's like... I spent a lot of time not liking me, too. I guess I found my niche, but..." He shrugs and ignores the tightness at the mention of Wells, that Wells that was never one to begin with, the nightmare he'd had, yet again, so recently still too close to the surface to not give him that momentary pause. But he pushes past it and catches Hartley's fingers with his, wrapping his fingers around his own.
"I'm sorry," he says softly, "I wish he did remember." he manages a weak smile. "But you aren't...you aren't the person he remembers, and you've proven that...so many times now. There's nothing left to prove, and...if he wants to be twitchy about me and you, if-- if there is...a me and you...he'll just have to twitch. Because I know you're not who he sees." He lets go of Hartley's hand to reach up and brush his thumb across his cheek.
"I love you," he says it like it's a fact the same way the sky is blue and the grass is green. "and I don't care if there's somebody out there who's...some other person's perception of better, for me...I want you, Hartley Rathaway." He manages another small smile, the pain for that admission tucked away somewhere that it can't touch him, not right now at least. He'll deal with it later.
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Date: 2017-03-04 12:13 am (UTC)"I'm sorry," he says softly, "I wish he did remember." he manages a weak smile. "But you aren't...you aren't the person he remembers, and you've proven that...so many times now. There's nothing left to prove, and...if he wants to be twitchy about me and you, if-- if there is...a me and you...he'll just have to twitch. Because I know you're not who he sees." He lets go of Hartley's hand to reach up and brush his thumb across his cheek.
"I love you," he says it like it's a fact the same way the sky is blue and the grass is green. "and I don't care if there's somebody out there who's...some other person's perception of better, for me...I want you, Hartley Rathaway." He manages another small smile, the pain for that admission tucked away somewhere that it can't touch him, not right now at least. He'll deal with it later.