"No, hearing you say daddy just weirds me the hell out, I wasn't even thinking about PC. Although, good point." Hartley sat down on the ground and then just laid back, letting whatever rat felt like it literally climb all over him. "You have a cage, right? We can probably just move them all. I'm mostly thinking it'd be easier, given James, that way we can keep the rats with us until we find somewhere else for the ones we are giving somewhere else."
"Really? So you're not into the whole daddy thing. Good to know." Some guys really were so it was good to know that wasn't going to be a weird constant in the bedroom. "I have a cage but the cage sucks. It's tiny. They'll be unhappy in it." Axel sighed and checked behind him before he flopped down too, setting a few of them on his chest so they didn't get hurt. He reached out and took Hartley's hand in his own. "How do we decide who to keep and who to get rid of? It almost seems unfair to break them up."
"Half the stories you tell me about your creepier clients involve you calling them daddy, so it's really not the sexiest associations." Might as well be honest about that. Hartley led Axel's hand to his lips to kiss it, thinking as he did so. "I can probably make a bigger cage fairly quickly, at least one good enough to transport them. And then we'll just see. Maybe some of them don't get along, that would make that easier. Cisco might want some, he's mostly a good guy."
"Yeah, same. Nothing like a guy twice your age and then some talking to you like a little kid while you're trying to have sex. How is that a turn on?" Axel rolled his eyes and watched as one rat used their linked hands as a bridge to climb over from Axel to Hartley. These things were so cute. "Is Cisco the one you yell at over skype whenever you have a group project? The one that said gay people shouldn't donate blood?" From the context alone, he was sure it was said without thinking but it was still so funny. "Sure, we can let him have rats. If he conceded defeat."
"Yes. He's in the same program as I am, at STAR labs. And he's an idiot, but mostly he just really likes disagreeing with me, even when he knows he's in the wrong." Hartley watched the rat climb from one arm to the other, smiling at it. "He'd probably concede defeats, these rats are adorable. I'll have to look them over though, make sure they're actually fit to live. Unfortunately lab rats... Well. I'm sure these will be fine."
"I know, I know. The sicker ones are sleeping in our bed." Actually tucked in and everything because Axel was worried about them and put them down like they were kids. What else was he supposed to do? "Okay some go to Cisco, we can probably give some to the college kids in the area and those who die, we'll bury nice and make sure they don't suffer too much."
"Exactly. I'll take a look at the sick ones, but this isn't exactly my area of expertise. Do you have an unused syringe? We should probably make sure they eat and drink." Hartley shifted until he could nuzzle the side of Axel's neck, just because he really wanted to. Couldn't leave all the fun to the rats.
"I think James has a few somewhere, I used to bring them home to use and he'd steal them to stop me so we'll have a raid later and make sure. Hopefully we can save them." He knew it was unlikely but he was hoping they could at least give them a nice last few days. They didn't look so good but Axel refused to leave any rat behind. He turned his head to the side and kissed the top of Hartley's head. "I love you."
"We'll give it a try, I promise." It was sweet. Axel didn't often care about things and it surprised Hartley that it was some rats that appeared to have touched on his hear. He sat up enough to lean on his hand when Axel told him that he loved him, frowning in suspicion. What? Fine, maybe not the best response, but at least that meant Axel was on the receiving end of that cold shower for a change, not that Hartley was doing it intentionally.
"You don't have to buy it and I don't blame you for giving me that look but I do. I love you." Axel decided not to even look at Hartley because he knew how he was looking at him so instead, he picked up Dumbo and spoke to him. Of course all he did was twitch his little nose and stare. "Sorry I was such a stupid spazz over it but I'm in love with you. Now stop looking at me like I'm a freak, Hart. It's really off putting and I get it, I was a jerk, no need to parrot it back. Lesson has been learned."
"I love you too. I never doubted that you love me. I just doubt that you'll let yourself keep doing it." Hartley wished he'd not have to say it in present tense, but he wasn't in the habit of lying to Axel. He watched him with the rat and smiled a little, shrugging his shoulders. "But you're cute. I don't know when I'll feel good about just telling you things again, but I'm trying. I want to share my life with you. It's just easier to do that when my life is going shit."
"Just do it and stop coddling me. I freaked out once. Once. After all the shit we've been through, I was bound to snap sooner or later and I just picked a really stupid time to do it. Stop treating me with kid gloves cause I fucked up and tell them. Share with me." Axel didn't mind, he wanted it more than anything but he'd ruined it now and hartley didn't seem willing to trust him. It kind of hurt. "Your life doesn't have to be tanking to share with me. I'm proud of you. Don't even think I'm not."
"I'll try. Look, it's just harder to get excited. It's been hard for a long time and I'm not going to coddle you now and pretend that you didn't make it harder again. I'm struggling to get over it, but the real truth is that there is less exciting stuff to share, because I don't want to get excited. It's not like I skip around prancing and dancing whenever you're not in the room." Hartley petted one of the rats and smiled at it. "But rats are pretty exciting, I'll give you that."
"Just stop treating me all weird because I freaked out once. I said I was sorry, just forgive me so we can move on." Axel picked up Dumbo again and placed him on Hartley's chest because this one was his favourite and he should get some pets from Hartley. That was how it worked. "It'll be nice to have pets. I haven't ever had one and I didn't think I'd like one but God damn it, these guys are cute."
"Consequences, Axel, remember? I'm not doing this to punish you, I just happen to have feelings." Hartley rolled his eyes and looked at Dumbo, inspecting where the hair had fallen out. "He should be fine. He's looking healthy, at least. Just with a bit of a haircut. Looks stress related more than anything, maybe they'll grow back."
"That sounds like a lot of effort to deal with. Wouldn't you rather forgive me? Get over it? Life would be easier." Axel reached out and stroked him just above where the patch of skin was missing. "Dumbo will be fine, I'll make sure of it. I actually like him so he can't die." Because that was how life and death worked. "It'll regrow and he'll be the most handsome rat in town."
"I'm trying to get over it." Hartley focused on Dumbo, snorting at the name. He petted his head and let him hold his finger, then he finally looked at Axel again. "I kind of have to do approximately seven billion hours of homework, but we should see about getting their living situation sorted out first. Do you have time tomorrow, to move?"
"I'm free. Let's do it. Me, you and our darling rat babies." Axel grinned playfully and lifted up one of the rats that was nibbing on his jumper, kissing the top of it's head. "We can get all our shit on the bus anyway, it's not like we have a lot. Tomorrow, we can move in and you can study. I'll unload these rats on nice people."
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