[ He doesn't even finish that message, firing it off in frustration as he stands, pulling his shoes on quickly. He's out the door and tapping out another message without a second thought. ]
Don't be an idiot, Ramon
[ Harrison reaches into his pocket and pulls a compass out as he walks briskly, heading through one door and then another. If any messages are coming through to his device, he's firmly ignoring them as he looks for the workshop door. It takes him a few minutes to find it, mostly since he'd tried hard to avoid it for as long as he had, and then jams his key in the lock, turning it quickly and pushing the door open. ]
[ When Harry doesn't answer his subsequent texts (first i'm not an idiot, then second: there's nothing wrong with giving yourself time, and finally: i don't want you to force yourself to stick around me just because of your pride), Cisco assumes that they are back to where they started. At least now he knows what's going on in Harry's head.
So when the door rattles with someone unlocking it, the sound catches Cisco off-guard. He is sweeping up the last bits of glass from the corners of the room, so when Harry comes in he is still crouched there, a dust pan in one hand and a broom in the other. ]
[ Harrison pushes the door shut behind him and immediately crosses his arms. His stance is neutral at best, not betraying any of the uneasiness or the worry that's simmering beneath the surface. He takes a few steps in, eyes flicking around the room to take in the damage. A dent in the locker, a crack in the board — he could live with that. They'd be minor annoyances, but manageable. They weren't nearly as noticeable as the lack of weight he felt on his left wrist, at least.
After a moment, he turns his attention towards Cisco, arms still crossed. ]
I thought you'd be done by now.
[ It's a dry remark in his usual rasp — his attempt at cutting through any tension in the air. ]
[ Cisco wants to be fine, to sass back that Harry doesn't have as good a grasp of time as he used to. But the words stick in his throat. He's not sure they would be welcome. He's not sure he could put enough effort into it to make the cheeriness sound convincing. ]
The papers took a while.
[ He nods at the rather rumpled stack of notes sitting on the table (which also has a dent, though it's smaller than the one on the locker), which have been taped back together as neatly as he could. Then Cisco looks down and goes back to sweeping up those fragments of glass. He did his best, but there's still some grittiness in places on the floor, where the particles of glass were too fine for the broom to catch. ]
[ That effectively kills whatever momentum Harrison had going. Whatever he was going to say next seems to die off in his throat and he glances to the side, shoving the compass back into his pocket and then scratching at the back of his neck. There's a pressure in his chest, one that's hard to ignore at this point, and he shifts his gaze back over towards Cisco.
He has to say something. ]
You don't—
[ His voice trails off as words fail him yet again. He grunts in frustration, trying to start again. ]
This isn't—
[ And again, nothing. He runs a hand through his hair quickly, eyes shifting back to the ground, narrowed in frustration. This was never his forte. He could give speeches that moved hundreds of people but when it came to interpersonal relationships, well. That was something else entirely.
. . . though.
He pauses, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out his device, tapping at it a few times before stepping over to where Cisco is and shoving it in front of him roughly. ]
Just— look at this, alright?
[ If he glances at it for even a moment, he'll see that it's the contents of Harrison's sent messages. There's a few different people there — a couple to Allen and, later, Snow, an old one or two to Oswald who's now long gone, as well as a few other people here and there. But the vast majority of them are all to Cisco — long chains of messages, as opposed to the shorter ones littering the folder.
It's hard for Harrison to put into words, but he missed him, damnit. ]
[ Cisco takes the device, holds it between his hands and, with a quick glance up to Harry to check that it's what he wanted, he scrolls through. Most of the messages are from him - inane questions, stupid jokes he had thought of, long conversations where he had gone to Harry for advice, longer conversations where he had been worried about how Harry was doing.
He sees the pattern, but he doesn't understand the message behind it. That he talks too much? That Harry had trusted him, which makes what Reverb had done just that much worse? ]
[ Frustrating as always. That was just like him, wasn't it. Harrison lets out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. ]
I didn't even read them— that's not what I'm —
[ He throws a hand in the air. ]
You were gone, Ramon. You were gone, leaving that . . . person there in your place. And. [ A beat. He swallows, not entirely sure how to phrase it. No matter what he says, it'll sound stilted from him. ] It felt like I'd lost someone else then.
[ Harry hadn't even read them. Cisco hadn't considered that as a possibility; that changes things. He'd been imagining Harry reading through his frantic apologies with cold indifference, with anger, or else with the fear that they were traps, trying to trick him into lowering his guard. But if he hadn't even looked...
Cisco can see how hard it is for him, expressing himself. The words are heavy, jagged. Like I'd lost someone else. Harry might not talk about it much, but there are reasons he is so paranoid, so protective of Jesse. Reasons he doesn't let anyone get close. ]
Hey.
[ Cisco reaches out to touch Harry's forearm, lightly. Testing if this is okay. He chews at his lower lip for a few seconds before he can find a smile. ]
Yeah, like hell it's gonna be that easy, getting rid of me. You wish.
[ Harrison flinches at the touch, tensing up immediately though he practically wills himself to not pull away. That was Reverb. This is Cisco. He can still feel the phantom pressure against his wrist and attempts to steel himself, expression neutral as his eyes flick over, from his hand to his face.
Sentimental was never a good look for him, but neither was fear. So while he can't force a smile in turn, he can stay steady, giving him a slow nod of understanding. ]
Figures.
[ It's a rough, quiet statement, lacking the usual sarcasm that peppers his words. He doesn't have the energy for it, not now. ]
[ Cisco pulls his hand back after Harry flinches, drawing it up close to his chest awkwardly for a moment before he crosses his arms tightly. He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have pushed. Now Harry is doubtless embarrassed, and Cisco feels like complete garbage.
The stupid thing is that he should have known better. They have been through this before, the two of them. The tables had been reversed back then: Harry had been the one making Cisco flinch, and he'd hated it. Cisco takes a step back, trying to make it look casual and failing pretty badly. ]
I'm, um- I found your watch and I'm gonna work on fixing it. It'll take a bit longer, but I'll do it.
[ Cisco shuts his eyes a moment, remembering how that watch had been the thorn in Reverb's side which shifted him from rude trolling to actual attempted violence. He also remembers how much he hated the watch after Harry first outed him. How badly he had wanted to smash it, too. For all his protests, he really is far more like Reverb than he'd like. ]
[ He hates this. Even if he didn't care for many people, he'd long since moved Cisco out of that category, from dislike to mild disdain to tolerance to quiet acceptance to a barely acknowledged fond affection. They'd been working as a team for so many months now that he'd forgotten what it was like to have that bond strained like this, with the awkwardness hanging in the air between the two of them. How he'd spent months actively giving him a wide berth. Harrison shifts, like he's going to move towards him, and then he stops himself. He can't push it; it would be too forced for the both of them.
So instead, he cranes his neck, glancing around the workshop instead and nodding slowly. ]
Sure. [ A beat. ] Take your time.
[ It's just a watch. He'd much rather have that be shattered than his wrist. Besides, he'd spent months without it before. It was a minor inconvenience but nothing he was really broken up over, at least.
There's a long pause before he speaks again, softly. ]
[ Cisco sees that aborted movement, like Harry wants to reach out for him but can't quite bring himself to. It had never been real to him, before. How strange it must have been for Harry, showing up and finding these strangers with such intensely emotional reactions to his presence. Of course, back then he hadn't really cared whether they liked him or not.
He'll just need to be careful for a while. Not startle Harry. Never, except in life or death circumstances, use certain aspects of his powers around him. That will be enough... won't it? This distance can't last forever, can it? ]
Good to be back.
[ He moves over and busies himself with straightening the messy pile of taped-together schematics. They're still readable, but they don't look the same. Don't lie flat anymore. Cisco knows it is a bit maudlin, but he can't help feeling a momentary twisting in his guts, a fear that things between him and Harry will be like these papers. Never the same again. ]
I'm. Um. I wanted to say I'm really glad. That you could tell it wasn't me so soon, I mean.
[ Something about that makes him pause. There's something extremely depressing about it all — Ramon, usually so expressive and vibrant, behaving awkwardly, closed off, drawing away from him. And even though he'd spent the past few days hiding away from him (from his counterpart, really, but from him), Harrison can't help but feel an ache in his chest.
He makes up his mind then and there, slipping his hands into his pockets and stepping over, elbowing him firmly as he passes Cisco before stopping at his other side to glance at the papers over his shoulder. ]
It wasn't hard.
[ It's a simple statement, but it's true. Harrison isn't saying it to make him feel any better (though if it has that effect, well, he won't comment one way or another); they were two distinctly different people and Reverb wasn't exactly the best actor in the world, either.
And at this point, he'd like to think that he knows Ramon— knows Cisco by now. ]
[ He can tell what Harry is doing - making himself come near, elbowing him like that in an attempt to undo his unconscious flinch. Cisco is torn between gratitude and guilt that Harry feels obligated to do it. Why did this have to happen, just when things between them had gotten simpler? Why did Reverb have to ruin everything? ]
What, um. What tipped you off?
[ Cisco knows that maybe he shouldn't ask. Asking is forcing Harry to think about it, relive it, and that can't be pleasant. But all the same, he needs to know. He feels sick and unmoored and just wants to have some detail he can hold onto. It might not have been hard for Harry to spot the difference between them, but right now the barrier between his own identity and Reverb's feels far more fluid than Cisco would like. ]
[ Despite how close they are, he can't help but feel the distance grow as he crosses his arms, taking a step back so he can lean against a nearby cabinet. He considers the question for a moment quietly before he shrugs his shoulders. ]
Word choice.
[ Truth be told, he probably should have noticed it sooner. Harrison would like to think that, anyway — Reverb carried himself differently, exuded a confidence that was different from Cisco's. His brushed up against arrogance repeatedly, whereas Cisco's was more— bold. Brash. Never dangled over someone else, though. He glances back over at him as that thought crosses his mind. It's like night and day, looking at him now compared to the man who'd attacked him days ago.
The distance doesn't feel as great now. ]
How he speaks. It's different. He's not formal, but . . . [ Harrison trails off, shaking his head as he pushes away from the cabinet and moves back over to the table, this time standing next to him as he gestures idly. ] Personality shows through. — you don't say yes, you'd say— "yeah" or some infuriating bit of slang you picked up from a TV show.
[ At that, he tilts his head to one side, giving him a small, almost smug smile. ]
Edited (i am never satisfied with my icon apparently) 2016-07-21 23:19 (UTC)
[ Is that really all? Cisco had expected it was something more than that - that Reverb had forgotten some important detail, or Harry's devices picked up that he was resonating at Earth-2's frequency, or something of that nature. The fact that it was something intrinsic, something tiny and yet fundamental, is surprisingly reassuring. Most of the time, Cisco speaks without thinking. Words come easily to him - he speaks quickly, snappily, knows he can be witty when he wants to.
The idea that Harry could know him from Reverb just by the patterns of their speech is enough to make the corner of his mouth twitch up into a smile. It's not a big one, or very bright. But he's shocked anything could make him smile today, given the circumstances. ]
I get the feeling Reverb didn't watch a lotta TV. [ Cisco meets Harry's eyes, tentative but a shade more hopeful than a moment earlier. ] Maybe that's why he went bad. Not enough Star Trek growing up.
[ He's mostly kidding, but wouldn't that be wild, if it were true? ]
[ That small smile makes Harrison's smirk soften in turn. The tight feeling in his chest starts to lessen as he lets out a huffy chuckle, shaking his head. ]
Somehow, I doubt it.
[ Things would be awkward for a bit — he had no doubts about that. It was the same before, when Cisco had found out about Turtle and had come by anyway, hanging close awkwardly. Talking to him when he could. Coming over to help wrangle Pythagoras. He wasn't ready to go back to everything being completely normal just yet, the flinching still fresh in his mind. But it was a start. They'd get back there.
He reaches over to scoop up the schematics, taking them off to the side to slide them under some books, to flatten them out a bit more. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ He doesn't even finish that message, firing it off in frustration as he stands, pulling his shoes on quickly. He's out the door and tapping out another message without a second thought. ]
Don't be an idiot, Ramon
[ Harrison reaches into his pocket and pulls a compass out as he walks briskly, heading through one door and then another. If any messages are coming through to his device, he's firmly ignoring them as he looks for the workshop door. It takes him a few minutes to find it, mostly since he'd tried hard to avoid it for as long as he had, and then jams his key in the lock, turning it quickly and pushing the door open. ]
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So when the door rattles with someone unlocking it, the sound catches Cisco off-guard. He is sweeping up the last bits of glass from the corners of the room, so when Harry comes in he is still crouched there, a dust pan in one hand and a broom in the other. ]
What-?
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After a moment, he turns his attention towards Cisco, arms still crossed. ]
I thought you'd be done by now.
[ It's a dry remark in his usual rasp — his attempt at cutting through any tension in the air. ]
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The papers took a while.
[ He nods at the rather rumpled stack of notes sitting on the table (which also has a dent, though it's smaller than the one on the locker), which have been taped back together as neatly as he could. Then Cisco looks down and goes back to sweeping up those fragments of glass. He did his best, but there's still some grittiness in places on the floor, where the particles of glass were too fine for the broom to catch. ]
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He has to say something. ]
You don't—
[ His voice trails off as words fail him yet again. He grunts in frustration, trying to start again. ]
This isn't—
[ And again, nothing. He runs a hand through his hair quickly, eyes shifting back to the ground, narrowed in frustration. This was never his forte. He could give speeches that moved hundreds of people but when it came to interpersonal relationships, well. That was something else entirely.
. . . though.
He pauses, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out his device, tapping at it a few times before stepping over to where Cisco is and shoving it in front of him roughly. ]
Just— look at this, alright?
[ If he glances at it for even a moment, he'll see that it's the contents of Harrison's sent messages. There's a few different people there — a couple to Allen and, later, Snow, an old one or two to Oswald who's now long gone, as well as a few other people here and there. But the vast majority of them are all to Cisco — long chains of messages, as opposed to the shorter ones littering the folder.
It's hard for Harrison to put into words, but he missed him, damnit. ]
no subject
He sees the pattern, but he doesn't understand the message behind it. That he talks too much? That Harry had trusted him, which makes what Reverb had done just that much worse? ]
You deleted the ones from the last couple days?
[ Was that what he was meant to see? ]
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I didn't even read them— that's not what I'm —
[ He throws a hand in the air. ]
You were gone, Ramon. You were gone, leaving that . . . person there in your place. And. [ A beat. He swallows, not entirely sure how to phrase it. No matter what he says, it'll sound stilted from him. ] It felt like I'd lost someone else then.
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Cisco can see how hard it is for him, expressing himself. The words are heavy, jagged. Like I'd lost someone else. Harry might not talk about it much, but there are reasons he is so paranoid, so protective of Jesse. Reasons he doesn't let anyone get close. ]
Hey.
[ Cisco reaches out to touch Harry's forearm, lightly. Testing if this is okay. He chews at his lower lip for a few seconds before he can find a smile. ]
Yeah, like hell it's gonna be that easy, getting rid of me. You wish.
no subject
Sentimental was never a good look for him, but neither was fear. So while he can't force a smile in turn, he can stay steady, giving him a slow nod of understanding. ]
Figures.
[ It's a rough, quiet statement, lacking the usual sarcasm that peppers his words. He doesn't have the energy for it, not now. ]
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The stupid thing is that he should have known better. They have been through this before, the two of them. The tables had been reversed back then: Harry had been the one making Cisco flinch, and he'd hated it. Cisco takes a step back, trying to make it look casual and failing pretty badly. ]
I'm, um- I found your watch and I'm gonna work on fixing it. It'll take a bit longer, but I'll do it.
[ Cisco shuts his eyes a moment, remembering how that watch had been the thorn in Reverb's side which shifted him from rude trolling to actual attempted violence. He also remembers how much he hated the watch after Harry first outed him. How badly he had wanted to smash it, too. For all his protests, he really is far more like Reverb than he'd like. ]
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So instead, he cranes his neck, glancing around the workshop instead and nodding slowly. ]
Sure. [ A beat. ] Take your time.
[ It's just a watch. He'd much rather have that be shattered than his wrist. Besides, he'd spent months without it before. It was a minor inconvenience but nothing he was really broken up over, at least.
There's a long pause before he speaks again, softly. ]
. . . good to have you back, Ramon.
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He'll just need to be careful for a while. Not startle Harry. Never, except in life or death circumstances, use certain aspects of his powers around him. That will be enough... won't it? This distance can't last forever, can it? ]
Good to be back.
[ He moves over and busies himself with straightening the messy pile of taped-together schematics. They're still readable, but they don't look the same. Don't lie flat anymore. Cisco knows it is a bit maudlin, but he can't help feeling a momentary twisting in his guts, a fear that things between him and Harry will be like these papers. Never the same again. ]
I'm. Um. I wanted to say I'm really glad. That you could tell it wasn't me so soon, I mean.
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He makes up his mind then and there, slipping his hands into his pockets and stepping over, elbowing him firmly as he passes Cisco before stopping at his other side to glance at the papers over his shoulder. ]
It wasn't hard.
[ It's a simple statement, but it's true. Harrison isn't saying it to make him feel any better (though if it has that effect, well, he won't comment one way or another); they were two distinctly different people and Reverb wasn't exactly the best actor in the world, either.
And at this point, he'd like to think that he knows Ramon— knows Cisco by now. ]
no subject
What, um. What tipped you off?
[ Cisco knows that maybe he shouldn't ask. Asking is forcing Harry to think about it, relive it, and that can't be pleasant. But all the same, he needs to know. He feels sick and unmoored and just wants to have some detail he can hold onto. It might not have been hard for Harry to spot the difference between them, but right now the barrier between his own identity and Reverb's feels far more fluid than Cisco would like. ]
no subject
Word choice.
[ Truth be told, he probably should have noticed it sooner. Harrison would like to think that, anyway — Reverb carried himself differently, exuded a confidence that was different from Cisco's. His brushed up against arrogance repeatedly, whereas Cisco's was more— bold. Brash. Never dangled over someone else, though. He glances back over at him as that thought crosses his mind. It's like night and day, looking at him now compared to the man who'd attacked him days ago.
The distance doesn't feel as great now. ]
How he speaks. It's different. He's not formal, but . . . [ Harrison trails off, shaking his head as he pushes away from the cabinet and moves back over to the table, this time standing next to him as he gestures idly. ] Personality shows through. — you don't say yes, you'd say— "yeah" or some infuriating bit of slang you picked up from a TV show.
[ At that, he tilts his head to one side, giving him a small, almost smug smile. ]
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The idea that Harry could know him from Reverb just by the patterns of their speech is enough to make the corner of his mouth twitch up into a smile. It's not a big one, or very bright. But he's shocked anything could make him smile today, given the circumstances. ]
I get the feeling Reverb didn't watch a lotta TV. [ Cisco meets Harry's eyes, tentative but a shade more hopeful than a moment earlier. ] Maybe that's why he went bad. Not enough Star Trek growing up.
[ He's mostly kidding, but wouldn't that be wild, if it were true? ]
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Somehow, I doubt it.
[ Things would be awkward for a bit — he had no doubts about that. It was the same before, when Cisco had found out about Turtle and had come by anyway, hanging close awkwardly. Talking to him when he could. Coming over to help wrangle Pythagoras. He wasn't ready to go back to everything being completely normal just yet, the flinching still fresh in his mind. But it was a start. They'd get back there.
He reaches over to scoop up the schematics, taking them off to the side to slide them under some books, to flatten them out a bit more. ]
Find a shop vaccuum for the rest of it, Ramon.