[ His gut instinct is to pull back, to recede into himself, to yank his hands away almost immediately. And he does — or at least, he tries to tug them back as a kneejerk reaction even though they're still shaking. It's not a frantic tug but rather a lighter one, like he's trying to quietly extricate himself so he can make an exit. It's only when Cisco squeezes them that his hands go slack and he allows it.
But it's what Cisco says next that really makes him stop, eyes flicking up to meet his. Their relationship was one that sprung from a mutual animosity of sorts that evolved into a grudging respect and then— whatever this was. And it's that sincerity in his eyes that kills him. For all his preaching about how they shouldn't get wrapped up in the various doppelgangers of the multiverse, that each one is their own person and not just some "alternate," Harrison has never been able to fully understand how the team at S.T.A.R. Labs can look at him and not see Eobard Thawne. It didn't bother him much in the beginning — he asserted himself immediately and had no attachments and was extremely vocal whenever any potential comparisons came up. But as he grew closer to them and began to learn how deep the scars from Thawne ran, it was constantly perplexing. It wasn't something he agonized over, nothing that kept him up at night. It was just one of those things he could never quite wrap his brain around and it surprises him again and again when Barry sticks up for him, when Caitlin steps in to chide him over his self-care or lack thereof, and when Cisco reaches out and genuinely tries to him help, with all the warmth in the world.
His hands still somewhat, the adrenaline from the nightmare starting to run its course, and Harrison tilts his head to the side, examining Cisco curiously for a moment before speaking softly. ]
Yeah.
[ The strange thing is, Harrison had known for months that Zoom would try to kill him. He'd assumed that in the process of rescuing Jesse, Zoom would kill him. He'd accepted it when he crossed through the breach the first time. Which wasn't to say he was ready to roll over and die, not when Zoom had Jesse in hand. It was just one of those things he'd accepted as inevitable and prepared for as best he could — the logs he'd left behind for Jesse, the many attempts he'd made to mitigate the collateral damage when it came to everything involving Zoom, and all of his carefully laid plans. He'd never spoken a word to anyone about, quietly planning instead and waiting.
And now they're a universe away from Zoom and the breaches have been sealed shut. And he's alive. Yet another thing for him to try and wrap his brain around. ]
I assumed he would.
[ Probably an ill-advised statement, but he can feel the adrenaline draining away, leaving him exhausted. Whether it's just him trying to get something off his chest or an attempt at slapping that sincere look off of Cisco's face, well. Harrison's not quite sure. ]
no subject
But it's what Cisco says next that really makes him stop, eyes flicking up to meet his. Their relationship was one that sprung from a mutual animosity of sorts that evolved into a grudging respect and then— whatever this was. And it's that sincerity in his eyes that kills him. For all his preaching about how they shouldn't get wrapped up in the various doppelgangers of the multiverse, that each one is their own person and not just some "alternate," Harrison has never been able to fully understand how the team at S.T.A.R. Labs can look at him and not see Eobard Thawne. It didn't bother him much in the beginning — he asserted himself immediately and had no attachments and was extremely vocal whenever any potential comparisons came up. But as he grew closer to them and began to learn how deep the scars from Thawne ran, it was constantly perplexing. It wasn't something he agonized over, nothing that kept him up at night. It was just one of those things he could never quite wrap his brain around and it surprises him again and again when Barry sticks up for him, when Caitlin steps in to chide him over his self-care or lack thereof, and when Cisco reaches out and genuinely tries to him help, with all the warmth in the world.
His hands still somewhat, the adrenaline from the nightmare starting to run its course, and Harrison tilts his head to the side, examining Cisco curiously for a moment before speaking softly. ]
Yeah.
[ The strange thing is, Harrison had known for months that Zoom would try to kill him. He'd assumed that in the process of rescuing Jesse, Zoom would kill him. He'd accepted it when he crossed through the breach the first time. Which wasn't to say he was ready to roll over and die, not when Zoom had Jesse in hand. It was just one of those things he'd accepted as inevitable and prepared for as best he could — the logs he'd left behind for Jesse, the many attempts he'd made to mitigate the collateral damage when it came to everything involving Zoom, and all of his carefully laid plans. He'd never spoken a word to anyone about, quietly planning instead and waiting.
And now they're a universe away from Zoom and the breaches have been sealed shut. And he's alive. Yet another thing for him to try and wrap his brain around. ]
I assumed he would.
[ Probably an ill-advised statement, but he can feel the adrenaline draining away, leaving him exhausted. Whether it's just him trying to get something off his chest or an attempt at slapping that sincere look off of Cisco's face, well. Harrison's not quite sure. ]