Yeah. He was talking like I was dead on lockbox and I wanted him to know the situation.
He said. Here.
'I messed up. I ripped a wormhole open above Central City, there are doorways between different dimensions and... it's complicated. Eobard is still a potential threat though. Still.'
[For a few moments, he's silent, then another text comes a few moments later.]
That's about other Earth versions of Eobard, right?
[ Cisco isn't sure if Barry had been talking about that incident with the time remnant - but that had been a one-time thing, hadn't it? A freak anomaly that didn't really mean anything? They'd sent him back to the future and then Cisco had done his best to entirely forget about it - enough that he didn't even mention it to Eddie.
But what if there's something else? An Eobard from Earth-2? What if he'd come through in addition to Zoom. ]
he must be i mean this timeline stuff's never made any sense to me in the first place but he's got to mean that probably unless he's from further in the timeline and something's changed but i don't see how that's possible. you killed him.
[ Cisco wants to leave it at that, but then he thinks, what if Barry and Eddie keep talking about Eobard? What if he mentions the time remnant? Barry wouldn't have an reason NOT to. And hearing from him would blindside Eddie, and he would be hurt and miserable thinking his death was somehow meaningless now. And if Barry were specific enough about the date, Eddie, in all his detective-y wisdom, would be able to easily deduce that Cisco had known and kept it from him. And then it would be a whole huge thing.
So even though if it was up to him he would never mention all of that - for his own peace of mind but mostly for Eddie's - Cisco finds himself backed into a corner. He needs to say something now and do damage control. ]
i mean i should probably tell you that a while back... during those few months i was back in central city after being here, there was kind of an incident. with something called a time remnant - basically an echo of him that was stuck in the speedforce when you erased him. he showed up and we freaked out but there was no threat like it was an earlier version so we thought it we locked him up we could change things, change the whole timeline, save you and barry's mom and ronnie and everybody but it didn't work like that.
but barry can't have meant that because that was just an echo, just an afterimage... we couldn't do anything to him and he couldn't do anything to us, really. so it was nothing.
[There's a bit of a delay before the next text comes - it's a lot to process, and some part of him can tell from the way Cisco is phrasing things, the way he's talking around what actually happened when the time remnant came that he's not exactly telling him the whole story. Even with only part of the story, though, Eddie's feeling tentative, a little stung that Cisco hadn't mentioned it before, even though he can clearly see why.
He's not sure if Cisco didn't tell him because it's true that Eobard is still a threat, that what he did is for nothing because a time remnant can come back at any time and...and do what?]
[ He didn't think he was going to get out of this that easy. Cisco suddenly wishes they weren't doing this over text, wonders if he should just pick up and go to Eddie's apartment. He texts back as he's getting dressed. ]
it's not like there's one big reason, more like a bunch of little ones
partly i just forgot to. it was months ago and there's been a lot of other intervening stuff that felt more important
also because i don't really understand any of it or how it happened or why, and i hate that i can't wrap my mind around it
also because i don't actually remember lots of it that well 'cause we messed with the timeline and then i kinda almost died and or got erased from existence and just sort of woke up when it was over
also because it was scary and i don't like talking about it
also because i was pretty sure it would depress you and i didn't want to make you sad if i didn't have to
[ He doesn't want to add that last reason. But it's the truth, and he thinks Eddie would be able to tell if he was holding it back. ]
[For a moment, the rest of it falls away, and only one part of that sticks out.
'I kinda almost died and/or got erased from existence.'
Suddenly he's breathing too fast and too hard and his heart is pounding and he can feel the heat in his cheeks and if Barry wasn't coming over right now, he'd be going to Cisco, and he's not sure if he'd be hugging him or yelling at him or both.]
you almost died?! why didn't you TELL me?
[He shoots it off almost without thinking, and then a few moments later, he texts again.]
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't be angry at you. I understand why you didn't tell me. It just caught me off guard when he said Eobard is still a threat.
[ Well, good, this is going just great. Eddie saying he 'shouldn't' be angry of course means that he is, and is struggling against that. Cisco supposes that he deserves it, even if technically he hadn't ever lied. But omission was almost the same thing and he probably should've brought it up before he was forced to. ]
i told you by the time i was back here it had been months it wasn't really on my mind
and it wasn't like that
ME AND BARRY almost killed me because we were still so angry at him that we said screw the consequences and threw him in the pipeline even though harry told us it would screw things up. we messed with stuff we didn't understand, but barry fixed it and i was fine and there was no lasting damage.
[It's not anger, exactly. Not at Cisco, at least. That's just a feeling of being stung, a little. Stung that Cisco hadn't told him, even though he knows all the reasons. The anger is at Eobard, for somehow finding a way to come back, to hurt the people he cares about again, despite everything he'd done. Everything he'd given up.]
Almost dying wasn't on your mind?
Oh my god.
Of course you were angry at him. He's an asshole! He can't just keep doing this. And no, I'm not going to blame you and Barry, this is on HIM. It always will be on him.
babe, i've almost died like a LOT of times doing team flash stuff.
just slow your roll a minute i'm coming over right now and we'll talk about this
i'm not gonna say no to killing him but the moral of that whole damn story i just told you is we gotta be sure we're careful or we could end up hurting ourselves and the people around us more while he stays perfectly fine. neither of us want that.
That doesn't make it okay, Cisco. It's never going to be okay.
[He could tell him that Barry is coming over. He probably should. Warn him off, at least until later. But in his mind, this is more important, and he needs to see Cisco right now. The feelings are conflicting, his stomach is clenching and it's selfish, but he just doesn't mention it.]
I guess you're right.
I just feel like everything I gave up was for nothing. You still almost died.
it wasn't for nothing. and it's not lost forever, remember?
i'm sorry i didn't tell you about the time remnant earlier the whole incident was so scary and confusing, it was easier for me to just try to forget any of it ever happened. i didn't mean to lie
And I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Eobard. I'm mad that it happened. I know you didn't mean to lie. And I know you're going to make it so I can live again.
I'm gonna be okay. I want to see you.
[A moment later, and he follows up with another text.]
Barry is coming to the apartment. But I still really want to see you.
i was pretty mad when it happened, too. we managed to get the jump on him before he could do much of anything because i vibed that he was around. bet you can guess how fun that was.
[ Cisco finishes pulling on clothes and texts as he's on his way through the door. ]
i'm coming over. if i get there before barry i'm gonna hug you a lot. (if i get there after him i'm still gonna hug you a lot)
At least you kept him from doing serious damage, and in the end, you were okay. That's something.
[And he might be thinking it, but he isn't going to say it - that Cisco's ability was useful and good and helped a lot. Maybe he'll put that thought into words later, but he can't find the right ones right now, words that will let him express that without hurting Cisco.]
Thank you. I really, really need the hugs.
He doesn't remember, though. None of it. So we're going to have to tell him about us again.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
@eddietective
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Barry came back and he said he still was. I think he means from other universes but I just.
I don't know. I freaked out a little.
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do you know where he is in the timeline.
[ Cisco could just go ask Barry but right now HE'S freaking out a little. ]
you were warning him about eobard?
[ Not hard to guess that, at least. Cisco's glad, too. Means he doesn't have to. ]
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He said. Here.
'I messed up. I ripped a wormhole open above Central City, there are doorways between different dimensions and... it's complicated. Eobard is still a potential threat though. Still.'
[For a few moments, he's silent, then another text comes a few moments later.]
That's about other Earth versions of Eobard, right?
no subject
But what if there's something else? An Eobard from Earth-2? What if he'd come through in addition to Zoom. ]
he must be
i mean this timeline stuff's never made any sense to me in the first place but he's got to mean that
probably
unless he's from further in the timeline and something's changed but i don't see how that's possible. you killed him.
[ Cisco wants to leave it at that, but then he thinks, what if Barry and Eddie keep talking about Eobard? What if he mentions the time remnant? Barry wouldn't have an reason NOT to. And hearing from him would blindside Eddie, and he would be hurt and miserable thinking his death was somehow meaningless now. And if Barry were specific enough about the date, Eddie, in all his detective-y wisdom, would be able to easily deduce that Cisco had known and kept it from him. And then it would be a whole huge thing.
So even though if it was up to him he would never mention all of that - for his own peace of mind but mostly for Eddie's - Cisco finds himself backed into a corner. He needs to say something now and do damage control. ]
i mean i should probably tell you that a while back... during those few months i was back in central city after being here, there was kind of an incident. with something called a time remnant - basically an echo of him that was stuck in the speedforce when you erased him. he showed up and we freaked out but there was no threat like it was an earlier version so we thought it we locked him up we could change things, change the whole timeline, save you and barry's mom and ronnie and everybody but it didn't work like that.
but barry can't have meant that because that was just an echo, just an afterimage... we couldn't do anything to him and he couldn't do anything to us, really. so it was nothing.
no subject
He's not sure if Cisco didn't tell him because it's true that Eobard is still a threat, that what he did is for nothing because a time remnant can come back at any time and...and do what?]
why didn't you tell me this sooner?
no subject
it's not like there's one big reason, more like a bunch of little ones
partly i just forgot to. it was months ago and there's been a lot of other intervening stuff that felt more important
also because i don't really understand any of it or how it happened or why, and i hate that i can't wrap my mind around it
also because i don't actually remember lots of it that well 'cause we messed with the timeline and then i kinda almost died and or got erased from existence and just sort of woke up when it was over
also because it was scary and i don't like talking about it
also because i was pretty sure it would depress you and i didn't want to make you sad if i didn't have to
[ He doesn't want to add that last reason. But it's the truth, and he thinks Eddie would be able to tell if he was holding it back. ]
no subject
'I kinda almost died and/or got erased from existence.'
Suddenly he's breathing too fast and too hard and his heart is pounding and he can feel the heat in his cheeks and if Barry wasn't coming over right now, he'd be going to Cisco, and he's not sure if he'd be hugging him or yelling at him or both.]
you almost died?! why didn't you TELL me?
[He shoots it off almost without thinking, and then a few moments later, he texts again.]
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't be angry at you. I understand why you didn't tell me. It just caught me off guard when he said Eobard is still a threat.
He almost killed you again, Cisco.
I need to do something about this.
no subject
i told you by the time i was back here it had been months it wasn't really on my mind
and it wasn't like that
ME AND BARRY almost killed me because we were still so angry at him that we said screw the consequences and threw him in the pipeline even though harry told us it would screw things up. we messed with stuff we didn't understand, but barry fixed it and i was fine and there was no lasting damage.
no, you really don't, eddie
no subject
Almost dying wasn't on your mind?
Oh my god.
Of course you were angry at him. He's an asshole! He can't just keep doing this. And no, I'm not going to blame you and Barry, this is on HIM. It always will be on him.
I'm going to kill him.
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just slow your roll a minute i'm coming over right now and we'll talk about this
i'm not gonna say no to killing him but the moral of that whole damn story i just told you is we gotta be sure we're careful or we could end up hurting ourselves and the people around us more while he stays perfectly fine. neither of us want that.
no subject
[He could tell him that Barry is coming over. He probably should. Warn him off, at least until later. But in his mind, this is more important, and he needs to see Cisco right now. The feelings are conflicting, his stomach is clenching and it's selfish, but he just doesn't mention it.]
I guess you're right.
I just feel like everything I gave up was for nothing. You still almost died.
no subject
i'm sorry i didn't tell you about the time remnant earlier
the whole incident was so scary and confusing, it was easier for me to just try to forget any of it ever happened.
i didn't mean to lie
are you gonna be okay?
no subject
And I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Eobard. I'm mad that it happened.
I know you didn't mean to lie. And I know you're going to make it so I can live again.
I'm gonna be okay. I want to see you.
[A moment later, and he follows up with another text.]
Barry is coming to the apartment. But I still really want to see you.
no subject
we managed to get the jump on him before he could do much of anything because i vibed that he was around. bet you can guess how fun that was.
[ Cisco finishes pulling on clothes and texts as he's on his way through the door. ]
i'm coming over.
if i get there before barry i'm gonna hug you a lot.
(if i get there after him i'm still gonna hug you a lot)
no subject
[And he might be thinking it, but he isn't going to say it - that Cisco's ability was useful and good and helped a lot. Maybe he'll put that thought into words later, but he can't find the right ones right now, words that will let him express that without hurting Cisco.]
Thank you. I really, really need the hugs.
He doesn't remember, though. None of it. So we're going to have to tell him about us again.
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you're just in luck then cuz i have a near infinite supply
i guessed. i can do the honors if you want. i figure... he was cool with it once he'll be cool with it a second time.
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You know what? I'm lucky to have a boyfriend like you. As kind and intelligent and creative and gorgeous as you.
It's up to you. If you don't feel up to it, I can.
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we can play it by ear
no subject
Thanks babe. Seriously. I feel a lot better. I'll see you in a few.