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"Axel's met him. Axel likes him." Which wasn't saying much, since being a somewhat attractive guy pretty much guaranteed anyone some degree of 'liking' on Axel's part, but still. Hartley looked down at the wound and shrugged, blushing in spite of himself. "Plenty of things I can't do."
He cleared his throat and got up, heading for his kitchenette. "I don't have a lolly. I have a pop-tart." He didn't have the best diet, but whatever. "Want one?"
He cleared his throat and got up, heading for his kitchenette. "I don't have a lolly. I have a pop-tart." He didn't have the best diet, but whatever. "Want one?"
It's not really hope so much as I need to believe in something. I don't know. I mean, I want to be loyal. I am loyal. Why shouldn't other people be too? And you've helped me before. I'd want to help you.
"Axel likes anyone who's vaguely hot. That's not much of an accomplishment." James didn't rank anything much by what Axel said, it was more how Axel acted that James took note of. Like how he was with Hartley. He could tell that unlike most he flirted with, he did really like him. It was pretty funny actually. Of course when James playfully called dibs in their hypothetical talk of one of them dating Hartley, Axel had backed off a little.
"Oooh yes! Frosted or not? Cause I want frosted. Oh! Chocolate or strawberry? I want chocolate. I'm in a chocolate mood." He loved pop tarts so much, he could eat them all day.
"Oooh yes! Frosted or not? Cause I want frosted. Oh! Chocolate or strawberry? I want chocolate. I'm in a chocolate mood." He loved pop tarts so much, he could eat them all day.
I don't believe in people. They're selfish. I stopped believing when I was eight and my foster family dropped me as soon as not-mommy finally got pregnant. Who wants someone else's kid when they can have their own now? Newborns aren't complicated, you know? No one likes complicated. People don't do things because they're good people and they want to help, they do it because it's what's best at the time.
Right now, it's best for me to help you. I like you so I want you around.
Right now, it's best for me to help you. I like you so I want you around.
"True, but that means my boyfriend is vaguely hot. Who'd have thought, I can totally score." Hartley smirked and walked back to James, pop tart in his hand, just as James had ordered. He handed it over to him and knelt down on the mattress, watching him for any signs of fainting or whatever else he was supposed to look out for. He supposed something that would push up his blood sugar would be a good idea.
He leaned over James so he could move his flute case and notes to the side, giving James more space to properly lie down. "You're staying here, just so you know."
He leaned over James so he could move his flute case and notes to the side, giving James more space to properly lie down. "You're staying here, just so you know."
Whatever. I like helping people. I don't think that's going to change, even if I become as bitter as you.
But I'm sorry that life sucks. It does that a lot. I know.
But I'm sorry that life sucks. It does that a lot. I know.
"You got game, Hart. I'll give you that." He took the pop tart and held it in his mouth for safe keeping before reaching out and grabbing a hold of Hartley's shirt, trying to tell him to lie with him with a mouthful of delicious pop tart. God he wanted to bite into it but if he did, it'd fall out of his mouth but he needed to talk to Hartley too so eating right now would impede tat. Sigh. He finally raised his hand and removed the pop tart, holding it at a safe distance.
"Lie with me. You can lie with me, can't you? I'm all injured and hurt. You have to comfort me." He patted the bed beside him before shoving the poptart back into his mouth and mumbling something around it.
"Lie with me. You can lie with me, can't you? I'm all injured and hurt. You have to comfort me." He patted the bed beside him before shoving the poptart back into his mouth and mumbling something around it.
"Yeah, that's me. So smooth." Not at all with a slight tendency to babble. But he supposed it could be worse. Hartley lied down next to James without even saying another word. He'd lose if he tried to argue, so he just stretched out behind him and start petting his hair, trying not to look at his face and focus too much at how James just happened to be objectively gorgeous. Not fair. So not fair.
Why did the first guy he had to really fall for have to be like... Like this?
Why did the first guy he had to really fall for have to be like... Like this?
You're only getting abs so you can show them off on your twitter, aren't you?
Once the pop tart was eaten, James moved around until he was comfortable, sprawled out with his head in a good petting position. He closed his eyes and smiled softly, nuzzling against him a little. "I'm gonna pass out now, don't freak. I won't die." He let himself slip into a more relax position and yawned tiredly, not really with it. "Notte, sogni d'oro." And with that, he was out like a light.
"You have a visitor, Hartley." Ronnie didn't bother to hide the surprise in his tone, although a look from Caitlin convinced him not to make any comment. It was somewhat gratifying when Hartley looked even more surprised as he looked up from his work, the smell of tomato and garlic giving away just who that would be even before he spotted him. "What are you doing here, James?"
"Hey! You forgot your lunch. Well, you never made a lunch so you didn't forget but you need to eat lunch." He came over to Hartley's desk and dropped the food down onto it, grinning at his idiot friend who clearly had no idea how to take care of himself. "Eat it or you'll never grow up to be big and strong."
"Dude, that smells so good." Cisco eyed the bag curiously, unable to believe that first off, this guy had a friend somehow and secondly, he could cook like that.
"Thanks, I made it actually. It's only something simple." James shrugged and leaned against Hartley's desk, waving playfully at the people trying not to stare at him. "I'm James, me and Hartley are occasional room-mates. As in I keep turning up to sleep in his house and he doesn't kick me out. Most of the time."
"Dude, that smells so good." Cisco eyed the bag curiously, unable to believe that first off, this guy had a friend somehow and secondly, he could cook like that.
"Thanks, I made it actually. It's only something simple." James shrugged and leaned against Hartley's desk, waving playfully at the people trying not to stare at him. "I'm James, me and Hartley are occasional room-mates. As in I keep turning up to sleep in his house and he doesn't kick me out. Most of the time."
"I think that ship has sailed." But that didn't keep Hartley from opening the bag, since refusing now wouldn't really help matters anyway and, well. His stomach was grumbling all of a sudden. "He's a good cook. Great one." What? it had to be said. Hartley had eaten at a lot of fancy places in his time, but he'd never had food he enjoyed as much as James'. It was like coming home.
It was a bit of a kick to once more be called an occasional room-mate. James had a whole list of non-incriminating things to refer to him as. Hartley just wished he could finally get over this crush. He cleared his throat and looked around, then finally started introducing the people to James, so he could probably make them like him just by existing. The James way.
It was a bit of a kick to once more be called an occasional room-mate. James had a whole list of non-incriminating things to refer to him as. Hartley just wished he could finally get over this crush. He cleared his throat and looked around, then finally started introducing the people to James, so he could probably make them like him just by existing. The James way.
"You flatter me, Hart." Ah. These would be the people who didn't like Hartley. Hey, he got it, Hartley wasn't easy to like all the time. He was a snappy, grumpy workaholic with a coffee addiction who called most people idiot but he wasn't that bad. He didn't deserve to be pulled apart from these people. "Maybe next time I come, I'll cook for everyone."
"Oh God, yes. Do that, that'd be so awesome."
James grinned and gave Cisco a thumbs up, already putting these people to the mental pictures Hartley had formed from his ranting. "I love your shirt, by the way. Expecto patronum? That's all that Potter stuff, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah, you're a fan?"
"I saw the films when Hart made me watch them. I've never read the books but apparently they rock." What? Why not appeal to their interests and present Hartley as a good potential friend. "It's a cool little universe."
"Oh God, yes. Do that, that'd be so awesome."
James grinned and gave Cisco a thumbs up, already putting these people to the mental pictures Hartley had formed from his ranting. "I love your shirt, by the way. Expecto patronum? That's all that Potter stuff, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah, you're a fan?"
"I saw the films when Hart made me watch them. I've never read the books but apparently they rock." What? Why not appeal to their interests and present Hartley as a good potential friend. "It's a cool little universe."
"I never flatter anyone." Hartley grumbled the words as he started eating, wishing that people would stop looking at him. It made him feel a lot like hiding, but that would just be ridiculous given the circumstances, so he had to sit here and listen to James charm his co-workers. He knew what he was up to, too, but what was he supposed to do? This was not the image he wanted to represent at work. "James..."
"You're a potter fan? For real?" Cisco didn't seem convinced and, from what James remembered, he was the toughest one to crack here. They were kind of dicks to each other so apparently if he could find some kind of common ground, maybe that would be the gateway to acceptance.
"He's such a fan, he's trying to make a wand. No joke. Like a cool one that summons holograms like a patronum buuuut he won't let me play."
Cisco's eyes were wide with awe and his seat fell forward from it's casual leaned back position, almost climbing over his desk in an effort to get closer and get Hartley's attention. "Dude! That is the best idea ever! You have to lemme see. I have ideas already. Oh man, I need to draw blue prints. This is exciting!"
"Does it do anything else? Because you could totally adds a laser to it for lumos." Ronnie piped in, seeming equally as interested in this potential project. "I could probably make one small enough. In theory."
James grinned playfully and sat himself on Hartley's desk without asking. "You guys are all such geniuses, I have no idea how you function being that smart." So good at flattering.
"He's such a fan, he's trying to make a wand. No joke. Like a cool one that summons holograms like a patronum buuuut he won't let me play."
Cisco's eyes were wide with awe and his seat fell forward from it's casual leaned back position, almost climbing over his desk in an effort to get closer and get Hartley's attention. "Dude! That is the best idea ever! You have to lemme see. I have ideas already. Oh man, I need to draw blue prints. This is exciting!"
"Does it do anything else? Because you could totally adds a laser to it for lumos." Ronnie piped in, seeming equally as interested in this potential project. "I could probably make one small enough. In theory."
James grinned playfully and sat himself on Hartley's desk without asking. "You guys are all such geniuses, I have no idea how you function being that smart." So good at flattering.
"It's called a 'Patronus', not 'patronum'." Hartley realized that James might have actually said it wrong on purpose to get him to actually weigh in. He was tricky like that. Whatever, apparently this was a lost cause. At least the food was legitimately delicious. There were so many reasons to date an Italian guy. Hartley looked up when Cisco and Ronnie both seemed to actually be into this. Seriously?
He hated when James was right. He rolled his eyes at the obvious flattery and shrugged after swallowing. "It's for a convention. I don't know how well a laser would be received." Also, he wanted to sink into the ground.
He hated when James was right. He rolled his eyes at the obvious flattery and shrugged after swallowing. "It's for a convention. I don't know how well a laser would be received." Also, he wanted to sink into the ground.
"We can make it a harmless laser, not a proper laser. I don't want to blind anyone."
"Woah, woah, woah, hold up. There's a new Potter Con?"
"Oh, shit, I missed that. I'm with Cisco. There's a Potter con? Where?"
"When? I need the deets."
"We're so going. Right? Hartley, man, this will be so cool."
James just sat back smugly and watched as Ronnie and Cisco got all excited and Caitlin got ... he assumed excited on their behalf because mostly she just seemed to be humouring them. Look at that, Hartley had someone to go to his dumb con with.
"Woah, woah, woah, hold up. There's a new Potter Con?"
"Oh, shit, I missed that. I'm with Cisco. There's a Potter con? Where?"
"When? I need the deets."
"We're so going. Right? Hartley, man, this will be so cool."
James just sat back smugly and watched as Ronnie and Cisco got all excited and Caitlin got ... he assumed excited on their behalf because mostly she just seemed to be humouring them. Look at that, Hartley had someone to go to his dumb con with.
"Then you could save yourself the effort and just build a flash-light." But still, Hartley felt himself smile in spite of the rampant idiocy at work here. It was lunch break, seeing how he had food, if they spent some time talking about Harry Potter, he supposed that wasn't too bad. "It's in a month. Down at the Central City Center." Which was an incredibly stupid name, but he supposed with a city name like this, it was hard to avoid. "I think you can still get tickets."
He glanced at James, wishing that his heart didn't speed up like that when he saw that smug smile. Handsome bastard. He reached out to feed him a bite of the food he'd brought him, not really thinking about it. That was the issue about hanging out with James, it made him forget what normal boundaries in a friendship were.
He glanced at James, wishing that his heart didn't speed up like that when he saw that smug smile. Handsome bastard. He reached out to feed him a bite of the food he'd brought him, not really thinking about it. That was the issue about hanging out with James, it made him forget what normal boundaries in a friendship were.
"I just got the tickets." Cisco moved fast when he wanted something, booking three passes and assuming Hartley already had his. "You got yours, right Hartley? I got you one too Caitlin and, oh hey, James? You in or what?"
"Nah, I'm good." He tilted his head and stole the food from Hartley's hand without a second thought, not really considering it gay. He was hungry and food was being offered. That was just being polite. "You kids have fun, I have work."
"Work?" Caitlin was just going to politely ignore whatever the hell was going on between these two, hitting both her dumb idiot boys before they asked or said anything stupid. "What do you do for a living, James?"
"I work in the city." He licked his lips and shrugged. "I do odd jobs. It's not important."
"Nah, I'm good." He tilted his head and stole the food from Hartley's hand without a second thought, not really considering it gay. He was hungry and food was being offered. That was just being polite. "You kids have fun, I have work."
"Work?" Caitlin was just going to politely ignore whatever the hell was going on between these two, hitting both her dumb idiot boys before they asked or said anything stupid. "What do you do for a living, James?"
"I work in the city." He licked his lips and shrugged. "I do odd jobs. It's not important."
"He mostly just get on my nerves." Which was Hartley accused pretty much everyone of, especially most of the people here, but this time said with undeniable fondness. He had left his street days behind him for the most part, but not James. Not Axel, either, if he was to be honest with himself. Tricksters. Just no way to get rid of them. "Do you want to see what we're working on?"
"I get to see the cool tech? Oh hell yeah, I am so in for seeing that." James jumped to his feet excitedly and then gestured for Hartley to take the lead. He never got to live this kind of life. Walk around a lab and look at tech and people doing science. How cool was that?
Cisco nearly protested that they weren't allowed to give lab tours but he was too dumbfounded by Hartley being nice to people and too charmed by James to truly protest. Instead, he held out his pass to James. "There needs to be two passes to look at the cool stuff, you can borrow mine, just get it back to me at the end."
James smiled and nodded his head. "Can do."
Cisco nearly protested that they weren't allowed to give lab tours but he was too dumbfounded by Hartley being nice to people and too charmed by James to truly protest. Instead, he held out his pass to James. "There needs to be two passes to look at the cool stuff, you can borrow mine, just get it back to me at the end."
James smiled and nodded his head. "Can do."
"Not all of it. I just want to show you the parts I've told you about a little..." Hartley wanted to backtrack, because he knew that wasn't professional. Hell, Cisco had given a tour to his asswipe of a brother last week, they all did it all the time, but he was supposed to be better than that. But in the end he just nodded again and grabbed James by the arm to drag him along. "I'm doing calculations right now, which is boring. But there's more fun stuff that I've already done."
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