[ That story sets off a twinge of sadness in Cisco - not because it taints his image of Eddie in any way, but because the thought of him pushing himself that hard hurts. He knows without Eddie needing to say it all the context around it - his determination, his single-mindedness, his feelings of shame, his isolation from his peers. If Cisco had only known him back then...
But making a big deal of it is exactly what Eddie clearly doesn't want, from his tone, so Cisco just grimaces sympathetically. ]
Senior year there was a day in gym I got hit in the stomach so hard by a dodgeball that I threw up right there in front of everyone. Also not pretty.
[ There's only just enough room for the two of them in the shower, and Cisco makes sure he stands so that Eddie can be under the spray of water, leaning his shoulder against the tile. ]
Apparently there was some kind of unfortunate hat situation going on, too? I wasn't there to see it, tragically. But now I wanna know what he was in for. I can't imagine the Singh from our world even getting a parking ticket.
[ After another moment just listening to the sound of the shower going, Cisco asks: ]
That still hurting you?
[ He gestures to Eddie's arm - he'd caught that wince, thanks very much, and it's not the first time he's noticed Eddie hiding a bit of pain. ]
[Cisco is making himself smaller so Eddie can have the spray, he sees it, and he shifts, turning a little to the side so Cisco can get under the spray too, and smiling a little at him. As much as Cisco has the tendency to hide behind humour, in this case, the first smile made the second one easier, and it isn't long before he feels comfortable smiling again. Taking a deep breath and holding it, he turns his face into the spray and lets his hair get wet.
The story Cisco tells is a little sad, and definitely embarrassing, but he can tell he told it so Eddie wasn't the only one sharing an embarrassing story, and he feels a sudden hot rush of fondness for Cisco. Reaching out, he leans forward and rests his wet forehead against his boyfriend's, smiling at him.]
I bet you were the cutest kid and teenager though.
[Pulling back, he shifts and lets Cisco get under the water while he soaps up his hair - it makes him glad he chose to come here, because it smells like Cisco, and that's comforting.]
An unfortunate hat and elaborate facial hair. The only thing I can think of is some kind of gang thing? That sounds like a gang thing. But wow, yeah, picturing Singh in a gang is nuts.
[A pause, and he frowns, glancing down at his arm.]
Yeah. I overexerted. While we were apart. I overexerted and I wasn't being careful. I don't think it's injured just...sore.
[ Cisco smiles back, crinkling his nose at the suggestion he was "the cutest", as if to indicate strong disagreement without actually saying anything. If Eddie wants to think that, he can go ahead. One good thing about being here is there's very little chance of pictures of Cisco from when he was growing up ever coming to light. ]
I don't know about a gang. Sounded more like the Trickster from the way Barry described him. Y'know, way camp, probably assigned himself his own code name, trying to cause chaos and make a name for himself, doing it for the attention?
[ He guesses he shouldn't be surprised about the origin of Eddie's arm pain (though he's glad it didn't come from something silly like, say, picking Cisco up or anything). In some ways, he's still the same as that kid - pushing himself too hard physically when things got tough and then suffering the consequences. ]
Well if it doesn't stop hurting in a few days I'm gonna nag you until you find a doctor.
[ He will, too, and Eddie knows it. Cisco can be quite an accomplished botherer when he puts his mind to it. ]
[Eddie has a very distinct image in his head of how Cisco probably looked - it's an adorable mental image, round-cheeked and a little skinny, with big dark eyes. But he can tell Cisco doesn't think so, so he lets it go, just keeps that mental image in his head, and wishes he could actually see a picture sometime.
Instead, he just lets Cisco step into the spray for a bit while he scrubs his fingers through his hair, thoroughly cleaning it, then gets the soap and starts on the rest of himself in a quick, practical kind of way.]
Singh as the Trickster is actually...wow. [He shakes his head, laughs softly, and it comes easier than it would have earlier. Being around Cisco makes it easier. Enough that he pulls a bit of a face when Cisco says he'll nag him if it keeps hurting.]
Really, don't worry about it. I've pulled muscles before, so I know this one is pretty minor. It's not quite a strain, just...I had a lot of steam to blow off. I'm looking forward to everything calming down, spending some time just...doing nothing. Relaxing.
[He steps in a little, lifts a hand covered in shampoo suds, and dabs a bit of it onto Cisco's nose, smiling warmly.]
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But making a big deal of it is exactly what Eddie clearly doesn't want, from his tone, so Cisco just grimaces sympathetically. ]
Senior year there was a day in gym I got hit in the stomach so hard by a dodgeball that I threw up right there in front of everyone. Also not pretty.
[ There's only just enough room for the two of them in the shower, and Cisco makes sure he stands so that Eddie can be under the spray of water, leaning his shoulder against the tile. ]
Apparently there was some kind of unfortunate hat situation going on, too? I wasn't there to see it, tragically. But now I wanna know what he was in for. I can't imagine the Singh from our world even getting a parking ticket.
[ After another moment just listening to the sound of the shower going, Cisco asks: ]
That still hurting you?
[ He gestures to Eddie's arm - he'd caught that wince, thanks very much, and it's not the first time he's noticed Eddie hiding a bit of pain. ]
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The story Cisco tells is a little sad, and definitely embarrassing, but he can tell he told it so Eddie wasn't the only one sharing an embarrassing story, and he feels a sudden hot rush of fondness for Cisco. Reaching out, he leans forward and rests his wet forehead against his boyfriend's, smiling at him.]
I bet you were the cutest kid and teenager though.
[Pulling back, he shifts and lets Cisco get under the water while he soaps up his hair - it makes him glad he chose to come here, because it smells like Cisco, and that's comforting.]
An unfortunate hat and elaborate facial hair. The only thing I can think of is some kind of gang thing? That sounds like a gang thing. But wow, yeah, picturing Singh in a gang is nuts.
[A pause, and he frowns, glancing down at his arm.]
Yeah. I overexerted. While we were apart. I overexerted and I wasn't being careful. I don't think it's injured just...sore.
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I don't know about a gang. Sounded more like the Trickster from the way Barry described him. Y'know, way camp, probably assigned himself his own code name, trying to cause chaos and make a name for himself, doing it for the attention?
[ He guesses he shouldn't be surprised about the origin of Eddie's arm pain (though he's glad it didn't come from something silly like, say, picking Cisco up or anything). In some ways, he's still the same as that kid - pushing himself too hard physically when things got tough and then suffering the consequences. ]
Well if it doesn't stop hurting in a few days I'm gonna nag you until you find a doctor.
[ He will, too, and Eddie knows it. Cisco can be quite an accomplished botherer when he puts his mind to it. ]
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Instead, he just lets Cisco step into the spray for a bit while he scrubs his fingers through his hair, thoroughly cleaning it, then gets the soap and starts on the rest of himself in a quick, practical kind of way.]
Singh as the Trickster is actually...wow. [He shakes his head, laughs softly, and it comes easier than it would have earlier. Being around Cisco makes it easier. Enough that he pulls a bit of a face when Cisco says he'll nag him if it keeps hurting.]
Really, don't worry about it. I've pulled muscles before, so I know this one is pretty minor. It's not quite a strain, just...I had a lot of steam to blow off. I'm looking forward to everything calming down, spending some time just...doing nothing. Relaxing.
[He steps in a little, lifts a hand covered in shampoo suds, and dabs a bit of it onto Cisco's nose, smiling warmly.]
I want us both to be happy again.