"Knowing you, half of the favours would be things like 'go to sleep at a reasonable hour', so I think I'd survive that." Hartley turned around and took the gloves off, studying his hands to inspect the new burns he'd gotten. Occupational hazard and none of them looked like they needed any further attention, so he would still count this as mostly successful.
"My hair's fine." It was an automatic response, before he even looked up to meet James' eyes. "I don't care what it looks like."
"I care but I can live with this. It's nice to stroke when it's this long." James debated saying more but his nerves got the better of him and as much as he wanted to just subtly put the moves on him and hope he'd notice, all he ever got was more assurances that he didn't think James was into him and that was so frustrating. He was! He just didn't know how to express it and whenever he tried to, it came out badly and he ended up looking dumb.
Some people found it easy to express their feelings. James was not like some people. "Are you going to keep working tonight or is this for the crazy inventions?"
Hartley smothered an admittedly immature giggle and shrugged, still smirking, but deciding to not actually comment on that accidental innuendo. He could never be sure where James would draw the line and it would be an awful joke. "Not much. I might need to disassemble the gloves a bit and figure out how exactly I triggered this, but other than that, I've already done a lot since I last slept."
"See, sleep so isn't impeding your progress. Good boy, all getting rest and everything." With an amused smile, he playfully petted Hartley's head like he was a family pet then moved away from him, pulling a strip of gum from his pocket and shoving it into his mouth, the lolly long since gone. He was trying to keep his mouth busy and his mind of cigarettes. Oral fixation, sure, but like Hartley would ever complain.
"When you're going being all super smart, come crash with me. I'm lonely and I hate sleeping alone."
"I'm never done being all super smart, but I'll come crash. You know, James, you should really consider getting a girlfriend. Maybe I can help you find one some time."
There, that seemed like a good suggestion. Clearly James needed someone in his life.
"I don't want a girlfriend." James huffed as he went over to the bed and dramatically flopped on it, making a frustrated whiny noise as he covered his face with his hands. He was in hell. This was hell. He rejected him all those times and now he finally woke up, realised his feelings and he was doomed to never score because Hartley thought he was too straight to ever be into him. He was such a dumbass.
"That's what you always say, but then you're all desperate for comfort." Hartley rolled his eyes and moved over to the bed so he could pet James' hair. "I know, James. I already told you, I'll come over when I'm done with this. You don't have to sleep alone."
Why James was being this dramatic, he didn't know, but he was James. Last night he had gone into a dramatic monologue that ended in a pretend-suicide because he couldn't find the remote control for the television.
James shoved his hand under the pillow, feeling around for what he wanted and then, deftly, he wriggled his hand inside it and pulled it out. And there, in all it's glory, was James's hand puppet of himself. Or rather his 'Trickster' self in full colourful costume and an adorable little mask. He was looking directly at Hartley while the real James buried his head into his pillow, his voice muffled slightly as the puppet spoke for him. "I could tell you so many ways I want you but they all get tangled in my throat and they never come out properly. You don't ever believe me and you just don't get it." Then the tiny puppet lowered it's head sadly.
"Cute." Hartley had no idea what to really make of this, but it was James. Not the first time he'd pulled out the puppet. He reached out to pet the puppet's head, just as he'd first petted James, smiling at it. Felt odd, given James couldn't even see him, but whatever. He had to roll with the eccentricity, he had learned that lesson a long time ago. It was just part of being friends with James. "I know. I want to be your friend too. You don't have to tell me. Don't be sad."
"What if I don't wanna be friends any more? What if I wanna..." He trailed off and the tiny puppet moved closer to nuzzle Hartley's face but James didn't really look up to see where he was putting the puppet so it did kind of give him a little puppet kiss on the lips. Well, he wanted that too. With a dramatic sigh, the puppet backed off and then came flying forward to hit James on his own head. "You dummy, you totally blew our chances being a dick the first time."
James yelped and pretended to bat the puppet away. "Oh like you were any smoother, dumbass!"
"You don't want to be friends?" Hartley frowned, holding the puppet for a moment as he tried to translate James' antics to how a normal person would express himself. He let go of the puppet and watched it 'attack' James, tilting his head to the side. "...you don't have to fight, Tricksters."
James huffed and the other hand slipped under the pillow and, yes, if it couldn't get any worse, it certainly did now as another puppet came out. One that looked a lot like Hartley. He huffed and finally made eye contact with Hartley before looking back to his puppets and doing his best puppet voices.
"I love you." Said the Trickster puppet.
"As a friend though." Said the Hartley puppet. The trickster puppet lowered it's head and shook it.
No, Hartley wasn't surprised at the impromptu puppet show. He had known James for too long to even be slightly taken aback by something like that. However, it was a clear sign that something serious was going on, because contrary to what one might think, usually when James brought out the puppets, the issue was complicated and emotional.
He finally reached out to grab James' wrists, making sure to catch his eyes. "Talk to me, James. Giacomo."
"I'm trying. I keep trying and every time I do it, it's not working. Talking to you is getting me nowhere." James huffed and pulled himself up a little, leaning on his elbows, his puppets down by his side now as he looked Hartley in the eyes and he wanted to just say it, say what the puppet could say but he apparently couldn't. Whenever he tried to so much as get the words out, they got stuck and he ended up feeling like an idiot. What was he supposed to say?
In the end, he took in a deep breath and maintained contact, forcing himself to just say it. "I am into you." He swallowed hard and the little Trickster puppet piped in afterwards with a helpful little. "All the homo." So there was no confusion.
"Right." No, he didn't know what to say to that. He had no idea what to really do with that. Finally he just followed his instinct and leaned in until he felt James' lips and then he kissed him. Not the first time, but the first time he'd initiated it. Definitely the first time he pushed him back onto the bed and ended up on top of him, still kissing. Definitely the first time he felt just a little bit of that old flame of hope again.
Oh God. He was finally getting it? Seriously? James almost wanted to laugh as he reached up to touch Hartley and, well, it was less romantic to touch his hand and pull him in closer with puppets on his hand. He swiftly whipped both off and mumbled an apology to his felt friends as he used his actual fingers to tug Hartley's hair, trying to keep the kiss going as long as he could.
As long as they were kissing, they weren't talking.
As long as James wasn't saying anything, he couldn't mess this up. At least that was the hope, wasn't it? Hartley deepened the kiss, eyes still closed, unable to really believe that this was happening. They were no longer hormonal teenagers and James hadn't shoved him away yet. What if when he ended this, he'd tell him some excuse again? It was that thought that had Hartley finally pull away, looking at James with a fearful expression.
James looked up at Hartley and licked his lips, contemplated what to say next. What he said next was a lot of pressure, it was going to make or break this and if he fucked it up then he was going to end up upsetting Hartley and probably dying alone somewhere as a closeted fuck up with no hope of finding love. So, you know, the pressure was a little much.
"Good." Fuck. Good? What did good mean? "Great." Okay, getting a little better. "Thank you." Shit. Nope, abort. Abort!
"...you're very polite when I kiss you." Hartley looked down at James and finally he broke down into a laugh, leaning down but only to kiss his cheek. No, he didn't really know where they stood, but this was at the very least entertaining. "You're very welcome."
"I don't know! There's a lot of pressure and I figured go polite and now I have no idea why. It's your fault, you asshole. I was never this much of a loser and then you came along and suddenly I'm a babbling idiot." So yeah, totally all on Hartley and none of it on him. He huffed and flopped back, rolling his eyes at the idiot laughing above him. Well. He guessed it was kind of funny. James had no idea why he laughed either but he did, for lack of anything better to do.
"God." James stifled his laughter, a stupid smile on his face as he looked at Hartley. "I'm so fucking gay, aren't I?"
"I told you that two minutes into our first meeting, but glad to know you're catching on." Hartley couldn't help it, he hadn't felt this happy in... He couldn't even remember. It had been a while. So of course he kissed his cheek again and then started to move his lips along his jaw, just because he could. Finally. His handsome James, yes? It was difficult to believe, but not an opportunity he'd risk wasting. "You're so fucking gay and you're so fucking beautiful and for a long while, I wanted you more than anything. I just wanted you to want me."
"I did! But then I freaked then you got a boyfriend then Wells was a creeper. I only realised about the time I went to prison and I've been trying to tell you." Subtly and terribly but he'd been trying. With a small noise of enjoyment, he let Hartley do as he pleased, not feeling quite confident enough to really go for it himself, he was still unsure how this worked, still trying not to be too 'homo' about this whole thing.
He could be into dudes and not be all gay-gay, just cool normal gay. Like Hartley. "So you still want me?"
"You're terrible at telling me." It had to be said. Hartley pulled back, just enough to look into James' face. Time for honesty of his own too, he supposed. "I don't want you like I used to. I know you much better now. You're no longer just the most handsome guy I've seen outside of a magazine."
He was also significantly less sheltered, which helped. "So you missed out on a lot of flustering me just with a smile. Only have yourself to blame."
"Oh please, you can talk, you handsome bastard." He leaned up and stole a kiss of his own before grabbing onto Hartley and yanking him down on top of him so he could hold him, just hold him close and not have to look into his eyes as he spoke. James was good at a lot of things but when it came to feeling and expressing it maturely, this was not his best area. He preferred to not meet his eyes in moments like this.
"I can live with that. I'm sorry I was a jerk. I regret it, I hope you know that. In my head I play out our first kiss all the time only I'm not a total coward this time. We kiss and I let you say. I never fuck up." Never go all 'no homo' and call Hartley a fag. Kick him out of his house like an idiot.
Hartley chuckled, but he let James do as he pleased, settling in on top of him and staying there, just watching his face from the side and idly playing with his hair. He was still too handsome, probably even more so. No need to assure James of that right now, he had a tendency to be too full of himself.
"Mhm. That was the worst day of my life for a while. Replaced my parents kicking me out. It was the worst until the day Harrison fired me, dumped me and I couldn't get through to you. But the hardest thing was trying to accept that you might be perfect for me and that you probably liked me, but you'd never be with me."
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"My hair's fine." It was an automatic response, before he even looked up to meet James' eyes. "I don't care what it looks like."
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Some people found it easy to express their feelings. James was not like some people. "Are you going to keep working tonight or is this for the crazy inventions?"
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Hartley smothered an admittedly immature giggle and shrugged, still smirking, but deciding to not actually comment on that accidental innuendo. He could never be sure where James would draw the line and it would be an awful joke. "Not much. I might need to disassemble the gloves a bit and figure out how exactly I triggered this, but other than that, I've already done a lot since I last slept."
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"When you're going being all super smart, come crash with me. I'm lonely and I hate sleeping alone."
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There, that seemed like a good suggestion. Clearly James needed someone in his life.
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"I want you."
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Why James was being this dramatic, he didn't know, but he was James. Last night he had gone into a dramatic monologue that ended in a pretend-suicide because he couldn't find the remote control for the television.
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James shoved his hand under the pillow, feeling around for what he wanted and then, deftly, he wriggled his hand inside it and pulled it out. And there, in all it's glory, was James's hand puppet of himself. Or rather his 'Trickster' self in full colourful costume and an adorable little mask. He was looking directly at Hartley while the real James buried his head into his pillow, his voice muffled slightly as the puppet spoke for him. "I could tell you so many ways I want you but they all get tangled in my throat and they never come out properly. You don't ever believe me and you just don't get it." Then the tiny puppet lowered it's head sadly.
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James yelped and pretended to bat the puppet away. "Oh like you were any smoother, dumbass!"
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James huffed and the other hand slipped under the pillow and, yes, if it couldn't get any worse, it certainly did now as another puppet came out. One that looked a lot like Hartley. He huffed and finally made eye contact with Hartley before looking back to his puppets and doing his best puppet voices.
"I love you." Said the Trickster puppet.
"As a friend though." Said the Hartley puppet. The trickster puppet lowered it's head and shook it.
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He finally reached out to grab James' wrists, making sure to catch his eyes. "Talk to me, James. Giacomo."
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In the end, he took in a deep breath and maintained contact, forcing himself to just say it. "I am into you." He swallowed hard and the little Trickster puppet piped in afterwards with a helpful little. "All the homo." So there was no confusion.
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As long as they were kissing, they weren't talking.
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"And?"
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"Good." Fuck. Good? What did good mean? "Great." Okay, getting a little better. "Thank you." Shit. Nope, abort. Abort!
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"God." James stifled his laughter, a stupid smile on his face as he looked at Hartley. "I'm so fucking gay, aren't I?"
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He could be into dudes and not be all gay-gay, just cool normal gay. Like Hartley. "So you still want me?"
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He was also significantly less sheltered, which helped. "So you missed out on a lot of flustering me just with a smile. Only have yourself to blame."
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"I can live with that. I'm sorry I was a jerk. I regret it, I hope you know that. In my head I play out our first kiss all the time only I'm not a total coward this time. We kiss and I let you say. I never fuck up." Never go all 'no homo' and call Hartley a fag. Kick him out of his house like an idiot.
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"Mhm. That was the worst day of my life for a while. Replaced my parents kicking me out. It was the worst until the day Harrison fired me, dumped me and I couldn't get through to you. But the hardest thing was trying to accept that you might be perfect for me and that you probably liked me, but you'd never be with me."
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