riverviewlogs | [ open ] call it your 2.0, your rebirth, whatever

Entry tags:

[ open ] call it your 2.0, your rebirth, whatever

who: cisco + anyone!
what: catch-all + tdm prompts + fajro prompts
when: february
where: various places!
warnings: will add as needed

I. DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

[ Cisco thought that the crystal caves sounded exactly like something from a fantasy series he had loved as a child, so of course, he dragged Eddie to go and see them with him. There had been nothing ominous about the place, at the time. It isn't until a few days later that Cisco's dreams start to show the sign of outside influence. They become vivid, surreal, and most importantly, he starts having guests. A few times he'll have a passing thought about a friend before falling asleep, only to run into them in his dream. He's no stranger to unusual dreams, and - after what had happened in October - not even a stranger to encountering other people in them.

But it's still pretty damn weird. ]

You see that, right? It's not just me?

[ Cisco asks the question to whoever is standing next to him, pointing down an empty city street at the looming figure of what is, unmistakably, a Godzilla-sized robotic panda. ]

II. CLEANING HOUSE

[ Cisco had rolled his eyes at first at the idea of a whole holiday based around cleaning. What could be less fun? He's always been somewhat inclined to keep stuff. After all, you never know what use it could be later. He spends plenty of his time scavenging the things other people left behind in the abandoned parts of the city, for materials and parts for his work.

But once he and Eddie decide to share the same room, he realizes he is going to have to get rid of at least some of his stuff, to make room. So he reluctantly starts, only to find himself getting more and more into the task. He can be seen either having a cute little yard sale to get rid of various items (clothing, books, etc.), or else taking what remains after the sale down to the bonfires by the river. ]

III. CLEARING THE AIR

[ Along with everyone else in the Quarantine, as the month progresses, he finds himself dwelling on resentments from his past. Unfortunately for Cisco, most of those resentments pertain to people who aren't even here. Once the 15th rolls around, he finds that his sense of taste has vanished completely. A few conversations with others tell him that this is probably something to do with the holiday, that he needs to clear the air.

But what is he supposed to do, when the people he's feeling resentful towards aren't even here?

So Cisco can be found all that week making his way around town, sitting in a park or perhaps at a bar, slump-shouldered and wan and uncomfortable, needing (but not knowing it) someone to talk to. A good heart-to-heart will put things right, but he's not aware of that yet.

He is also, despite his distraction, more than happy to listen to others' woes, or any resentments held against him. ]

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[ Cisco ends up so distracted thinking about rearranging their apartment that he isn't getting any work done. The idea of permanently, officially sharing a bedroom with Eddie is an exciting one, after all. So he leaves early, gets to their apartment around 3:30 and heads directly up to his room, taking a good hard look at it. He's going to have to get rid of at least some stuff, to make room for Eddie's things.

Over the next hour he goes around and around the room, choosing what can be discarded, wanting to open up some space before Eddie even gets home. When he comes in the apartment he will find several boxes of stuff sitting on the couch and Cisco up in his (their) room, hair up in a little messy bun, contemplating how to make more room in the closet. ]

[It isn't like Eddie had exactly predicted a negative response to asking if Cisco wanted to share a room - he'd had the suspicion that Cisco would be okay with it, probably even excited. But it had still been a bit of going out on a limb, and Eddie's pretty sure that's never not going to make him nervous. He might be good at reading people, but he's not clairvoyant or anything, so it isn't as if he'd known, when he asked, that Cisco would say yes.

But it's a huge, huge relief that he did.

So Eddie's feeling almost weightless as he walks in from the carpark, heads up the stairs to the apartment and lets himself inside. Toeing off his shoes, he heads up the stairs right away after dropping off his leather work messenger bag, and peeks his head into the bedroom, still wearing his suit, loosening his tie. Cisco is there, bent over some boxes, his hair tied up with little tendrils hanging around his face and neck in that way Eddie loves.]

Oh wow, you really made a dent in here already, huh?

[ As soon as he hears Eddie's voice, Cisco straightens up and turns around to look at him. He pushes those wisps of hair from his face, beaming as he greets: ]

Eddie! I wanted to get a start, at least. Figured I could make some room before you got here so we could bring your stuff up together.

[ And then he crosses the room, stepping over two more half-full boxes to give Eddie a kiss, arms draped on either side of his neck, hands running through his hair in a playful way, messing up his neat work hairdo. ]

Why don't you change and then we can start bringing up your clothes?

[When Cisco turns to look at him with that bright expression, his eyes warm and dark, his mouth curved into a smile, his hand coming up to push back some of his hair, Eddie feels a surge of intense affection. Any fears at all about what he's doing right now completely vanish, and he's smiling as Cisco steps over those boxes and comes up to drape his arms around Eddie and muss up his hair, to kiss him.

Cisco's arms feel warm and solid and he smells like dust and sweat and his shampoo, and Eddie couldn't be happier. His throat feels tight with how nice this is.]

Mmmm, okay. But changing means not being here kissing you anymore. Not sure about that whole situation.

[ Cisco makes a noise of consideration, as if there's some validity to Eddie's argument and he's reconsidering the whole thing. But he's too energetic right not to stay in one place too long, so he kisses Eddie four more times in quick succession before squirming away, out of his arms and back to the closet, where he plucks a two pairs of sneakers from the little cubby tucked away inside it, and suggests: ]

But getting this done earlier means it'll be officially our room sooner, and that means more time to snuggle in our bed later tonight. What do you think about using that extra closet in the hall for surplus clothes storage? My shoe situation is getting a little but, uh...

[ "Out of control" would be a good way to end that sentence, but Cisco lets it trail off into silence, confident Eddie can fill in the rest. So he likes shoes! Is that a crime! He doesn't have that many pairs! He'd managed to fit them all in this room, when it was only him. ]

[Eddie laughs a bit as Cisco pulls away from him after those four quick kisses, and heads right back over to the closet. As Cisco explains to him what his plans are, and starts lifting sneakers out of the closet, Eddie starts loosening his tie, shrugs off his blazer and starts undoing his button-down as he walks over to the chair at the corner of the room where he puts a spare change of clothes when he sleeps in Cisco's room. Their room. Their shared room.]

Fine, fine, you have a point...

[Stepping out of his slacks, he quickly folds them and tugs on a pair of comfortable sweats, slides a loose T-shirt over his head, laughs a little when he realizes it's one of Cisco's, but doesn't take it off. Padding over to the closet, he peers into it over Cisco's shoulder.]

Wow, I didn't realize you had so many. Your shoe obsession is kinda cute though. Cute enough that I think I'll let you have that spare closet in the hall just for shoes.

[Leaning down, Eddie presses a kiss against Cisco's clothed shoulder before perusing the space Cisco has cleared up.]

This thing is bigger than I remembered.

It's not an obsession, okay? I can stop whenever I want.

[ The effectiveness of that protest is somewhat lessened by the fact that, as he is saying it, Cisco is pulling pair after pair of sneakers from the closet, piling them against his chest until they are pressed right up under his chin. He heads out the door, depositing the armful of shoes in that hall closet and settling them all down. He can arrange them to best effect later. For now, they were out of the way - and there were still plenty more to move.

Cisco returns just in time to hear Eddie's comment, and obviously, he can't resist a quick: ]

That's what he said.

[ Get it? Never a bad time for a dick joke. Never. Cisco sees that Eddie's wearing his shirt, and it sends a little flicker of happiness through him. It takes a little effort, not to just go over and start kissing him again, but Cisco is good and refrains. Instead, he asks: ]

I'm gonna start bringing your stuff up, then. I figure, we just pile as much as we can on the bed, and then once it's all up here, then we can do the sorting through it and organizing and whatever.

[ Sorting and organizing is really more Eddie's specialty than his own. Cisco's not a messy person - he didn't leave trash around, didn't let his living space get unsanitary or unpleasant. He's just more naturally inclined towards clutter, and some degree of chaos. ]

Maybe, but will you ever want to?

[A little grin - honestly, it doesn't bother him. He isn't lying when he says it's cute, and he likes seeing Cisco spoil himself with things he likes. Besides, the sneakers are all really cute and Eddie enjoys watching him wear them, too.]

Did you seriously just 'that's what he said' at me? Seriously?

[Eddie's laughing, though, his eyes bright and his expression warm and fond. The truth is, he loves this. He loves Cisco's silly jokes and he loves moving in with him, sharing a room and space and putting all their things together, mixing their lives until it's just one life they're both living.]

Sounds great to me. I'm gonna keep working on getting this closet situation sorted out. Do you mind if I use some of the desk space too?

[It's almost off-handed, but Eddie can't quite get past how good it feels that this is the kind of thing they can just talk about so casually. While Cisco runs down to get a load of his stuff, Eddie finishes clearing out the closet, wipes down the inside surfaces with a damp towel, and empties a couple of drawers at the bottom of the closet space. As he hears Cisco coming back up the stairs, he calls out to him.]

Oh man, babe, this one shallow drawer would be perfect for storing my ties all rolled up...

How am I supposed to know? I mean, what do I look like, some kinda psychic who can see the future?

[ He says it with a straight face, which he manages to hold for a couple seconds, before cracking up. Cisco shakes his head from side to side in a way that makes a few more wisps of his hair fall from the messy bun. When Eddie teases him for his bad joke, Cisco merely grins, entirely unrepentant. ]

Yeah, sure. We're gonna turn your room into a kinda workshop slash office, right? So I can move, like, all the sketches and stuff. Probably a good idea not to have 'em in the room I sleep in, anyway. Keep me from accidentally staying up til 4 AM 'cause I've thought of one more thing I wanna tweak.

[ Cisco makes his way down the stairs happily, scoops up a huge armful of Eddie's clothes from his room, and hauls them up the stairs. He can't see the drawer Eddie's talking about, but he thinks he knows the one. As he's carefully laying Eddie's stuff on the bed he answers: ]

Sure, babe. We can keep all of mine in there, too.

[ Another joke, because Cisco owns one (1) tie and no more. The two of them settle into a rhythm, then: Eddie cleaning out spaces for himself, while Cisco brings up armful after armful of Eddie's possessions, stacking them all neatly and carefully onto the bed. ]

I'm totally gonna have noodle arms tomorrow.

[ He declares it as he hauls up the last of Eddie's detective novels, but he's grinning. He pauses a moment to catch his breath, hands on his hips, and asks: ]

Hey you haven't got anything stashed away you don't want me to see, right? Like... is there anything you wanna bring up, yourself?

[ It's worth asking! Cisco doesn't think it would be anything dire or incriminating, but before he starts poking around under the bed and into the various corners, he figures he should ask. ]

Just a little. A tiny bit.

[It's a little sardonic, the kind of teasing sarcasm that Eddie only really breaks out with people he trusts. For a moment, after that, he's distracted by the way Cisco shakes his head and those wisps of hair that drift down around his face - he looks beautiful, like a painting or something. The distraction is pretty obvious in his voice when Cisco asks him that question and keeps talking, and all Eddie responds is 'mmhmm' a few times.

But when Cisco makes that joke about his ties, Eddie laughs a bit too, shaking his head.]

You know, if you had more ties, I'd be okay with it. You look really damn good in a tie, Cisco Ramon.

[It's an enjoyable afternoon, surrounded by their things, tidying and cutting down on stuff and sorting through it all, putting Eddie's things into the part of the closet that's been set aside for him. And Cisco's arms look great as he hauls those novels up the stairs, when he comments on them, Eddie's brows raise high.]

Okay I will gladly lift anything you want lifted tomorrow as long as I get to keep looking at your arms the way they are right now. Because damn boy, they look good.

[A little laugh, that gets a bit deeper when Cisco asks if there's anything Eddie doesn't want him to see, stashed away. Shaking his head, he smiles a bit.]

No. I haven't got anything going on that you don't already know about. I'm a pretty open book. I mean....have you seen me?

Sure, I look great in a tie, buuuut I hate wearing them, and also, don't have to, so, y'know!

[ The truth is he isn't all that sure he does look good in ties - half the time just trying to put one on sends him into spirals of intense imposter syndrome - but he's doing his best to fake confidence. That's his newest thing. Only self-compliments, no self-insults, or at least, as little as he can manage.

He laughs in surprise when Eddie compliments his arms, pausing after he deposits those books to make a big show of flexing. And sure, maybe in the months since he's come to Riverview, and since he's needed to actually scavenge for parts for his work, he's put on a little bit of muscle in his arms. Cisco hadn't really noticed much, himself, but apparently Eddie has. ]

Okay, well, I don't know! I didn't want to assume! Not like I've gone poking around in your room looking for secrets!

[ The mere fact that he hasn't is, itself, a sign of how much Cisco trusts Eddie. He heaves a big sigh, rubbing his hands against the thighs of his jeans before heading downstairs once more. He passes Shadow on the way down, who is winding his way up the stairs, curious about all the commotion.

Once he's in Eddie's room, Cisco opens a drawer to start moving the contents (mostly socks and underwear) and notices, amongst the clothing, a little box that he recognizes. The ring that Eddie had gotten at the center of the maze. Cisco's heart skips when he sees it, and he remembers, inevitably, that vibe he'd had of himself wearing it.

For just one moment, he allows himself a breathless moment of wondering... but then he pushes the thoughts aside. Still, even as he's deliberately not speculating on the future, his stomach is full of butterflies, and there's something different about his smile when he comes up with this next load. ]

We can do a yard sale on the weekend. Get rid of some of the stuff we don't need.

Fine. I guess if I want you in the tie, I'm gonna have to invite you to more formal events then. You're a terrible uncooperative boyfriend though. Zero respect for my fetishes.

[It's obvious teasing, Eddie is grinning while he says it, eyes bright and warm, and when Cisco pauses and flexes for him, he exhales, breath a little sharp as he looks at his boyfriend. It has more of an effect than he'd anticipated, when Cisco does that specifically to show off for him, however jokingly he does it. Cisco had always had nice arms, but he's put on a bit more muscle in Riverview and even a joking display of it takes Eddie's breath away.]

Man, don't do that. I'm trying to actually accomplish things here, and when you do that, I have to put all my energy into not throwing you down on the bed and ravishing you...

[Eddie lets that trail off suggestively, but doesn't make any move to stop Cisco when his boyfriend heads back down to his bedroom. While Cisco is out of the room, Eddie starts hanging up his suits in the closet, gets them all neatly sorted out and by the time Cisco comes back into the room, he's folding his Henleys and sorting out which hoodies and sweaters he wants to keep. Glancing up, he notices that Cisco's expression is a little different than it had been when he went downstairs.]

That's a great idea, actually. That's part of this holiday I think? Clearing out what you don't need and passing it along.

[A beat and then, curiously.]

Your smile's a bit different. Run into something shameful down there?

[ Cisco merely raises his eyebrows at that accusation. As far as he's concerned, he has gone to quite an awful lot of formal events, and has dressed up much more than he would otherwise, because he knew it would make Eddie happy. He'd been glad to do it, too. He knows how much it means, to Eddie, to be with a partner that wants to be seen with him. That the two of them can go out, together, looking their best. There's something simple and earnest in his pride that has always endeared Cisco. ]

I've got nothin' but respect for your fetishes and you know it.

[ Later, Eddie's joke about throwing him on the bed and ravishing him makes Cisco laugh softly, part flattered, but also because the bed is piled high with all manner of Eddie's possessions. It would take some doing, for the two of them to balance on all that, and it certainly wouldn't be very good for Eddie's belongings, having the two of them rolling around on top of all that.

Eddie commenting on his smile once he returns makes the butterflies in Cisco's stomach all the more restless, but he just gives a loose and happy shrug. ]

Naw, nothin' shameful, sadly. Just your extremely organized underwear. I'm gonna go ahead put this up here, okay?

[ Cisco lifts the box with the ring, so Eddie can see what he's referring to, and sets it on one of the shelves that line the room. It is one without any books on it, where Cisco has placed the photo album he'd gotten in the same maze, along with a few other small, important keepsakes. He doesn't know why he shies away from mentioning the ring, or the vibe. Instinct, maybe. But there's no denying the secretive, flush-cheeked smile. ]

[As far as Eddie's concerned, it will never be enough. As hot as Cisco is on a regular basis, there's not quite anything that can beat Cisco dressed up in a masculine suit, or how he looks while he's shedding it. Just the thought of it is enough to make Eddie a little hot under the collar. When Cisco says he has nothing but respect for his fetishes, Eddie laughs, shaking his head a bit.]

Whatever you say, babe. Whatever you say.

[Eddie's grinning, though, as he continues to work on getting everything sorted out and put into the cupboards. He can definitely imagine how the two of them could manage sex even with all the stuff piled up on the bed, but he's also aware that now isn't really the time. Still, he's enjoying flirting while they make this room something they share, it feels good, natural, like something that doesn't have an expiry date. Something that will go on for a long time and keep being enjoyable and everything he wants out of a relationship.

When Cisco comments on his underwear drawer and then casually mentions the item he's putting on a shelf, Eddie glances up and sees what it is. For a moment, he feels a rush of excitement as he looks at the box and the way Cisco is holding it, putting it beside the photo album he'd gotten from the maze. Eddie still doesn't entirely understand why he got the ring from the maze, or what it is about the ring that makes Cisco smile like that, in that soft, private way that's a little different from his usual smiles, but....well, he has some ideas. Ideas that make his stomach flutter with anxiety and excitement and longing despite knowing it's way too early to be thinking about...

So he's not going to think about it.]

Mmmm, okay. That can be our cupboard for the really important stuff, you know? Sentimental stuff.

[A pause, and then, blue eyes on Cisco's face.]

I really like that smile. Seriously, I'm so curious...

Perfect.

[ Something about that makes Cisco feel weightless with happiness. He knows, understands why there are people in this place who plan on returning to their own worlds, sooner or later. Some wanted to, some felt they had a duty to. But for him, there's an immense comfort in knowing that this world is his new home. That he can acquire sentimental items, and keepsakes, and not think about if he could bring them with him.

When Eddie asks about his smile, Cisco is caught off guard. He hadn't even realized he was smiling. He brings his hands up to his cheeks, and surprised and bashful gesture, feels how warm his cheeks are. For a moment, he thinks about telling Eddie about the vibe, but it sticks in his throat. So, instead, he shakes his head, eyes sparkling, and says, playfully: ]

Uh-uh. Sorry, Detective Thawne. You gotta let me maintain a little mystery.

[ And he apologizes by way of a quick cheek kiss before he goes back to helping Eddie sort through the accumulation of belongings on the bed. ]

[The way Cisco brings his hands up to his cheeks is beyond adorable, and Eddie can tell he's feeling for the heat there, the way the smile is changing his face. Eddie can also tell that he's holding back from really explaining, and he feels a momentary twinge of hurt about it, expecting Cisco to tell him it's nothing. But then Cisco doesn't - he doesn't lie, or blow him off, he just says he has to maintain a little mystery.

For a moment, Eddie's silent, and then he laughs, a warm rich thing, and when Cisco moves to start going through the things on the bed, Eddie instead moves over toward him, gently pushes him onto the foot of the bed, where there's barely enough room for the both of them.

And of course they'll get back to sorting through Eddie's things, but for now? Eddie just wants to kiss him for a while.]

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[ open ] call it your 2.0, your rebirth, whatever

🌱 eddie

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