[open] it's time to tip it off

[franciscoramon]

who: cisco + anyone!
what: catch-all
when: july
where: anywhere; if you want a starter, please hit me up!
warnings: discussion of sex & drinking

i. tech testing

[ Most of Cisco's work is done within the privacy of his workshop, but there comes a time when he has to leave and find a nice quiet place to actually test some of the tech that he's made. The one time he'd done so outside the wall, things had gone very very badly. So he makes a compromise, finds an alleyway that is within the city but deserted. Sure, he might blow up a dumpster or two and make quite a racket, but he is less likely to get attacked by monsters here, and if anyone disturbs him he can just tell them to clear out.

That's the theory, anyway. But some of the stuff he brought with him might be a bit more powerful than he'd intended... ]

ii. nesting

[ Cisco had been very tentative about his new living situation, at first. He didn't want to get too comfortable, in case Yuri changed his mind, or Eddie got sick of him. But after a few weeks, with no signs that they want him to leave, Cisco starts to think about maybe settling in to his new room. It's fairly stark, still - just a bed, some sheets, and an old couch. All his clothes are still in bags, but the first thing on his list is some dark curtains for the windows. He was never meant to be a morning person.

He can be seen in various shops in the quarantine, looking at furniture, rugs, curtains, etcetera. Cisco's not above asking random strangers for their opinion, either. ]

What do you think, this one or this one?

iii. misc

[ Come plot something! ]

Comments

for lucretia

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco has heard quite a bit about this Gramarye place, and has spoken to more than one of its employees via the network. He's also not entirely ignorant about magic; those conversations had been supplemented by the things Taako has told him here and there. But none of it had been very systematic, and it had only served to make Cisco more curious. He has a lot of questions that he wants answered.

So, one day, he leaves his workshop early and goes to visit and see if he can't find out a little bit more about what sort of stuff they do there. Probably it would have been wise to contact them in advance, maybe set up a tour or a meeting. Instead he just turns up at the door, with a little notepad and a pen and a big grin. He asks at the front desk (if they have one) whether there are any magicians or sorcerers or witches or warlocks or other magic-workers willing to see him and talk for a little while. ]

ty! ♡

[scholiast]

(He most likely gets directed to Lucretia's office, as she's been specifically researching the variance in magic of the people who live here. She's in there with the door open, flicking idly through a little bunch of notes with her thumb and trying to jumble everything into some semblance of order.

When somebody appears at her door, she glances up, pushing her glasses up her nose with her forefinger. She spins her chair to face the door.)

Hi. (Lucretia notes with interest that he's holding a notebook and pen.) Can I help you?

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco feels a little guilty interrupting, but anticipation and curiosity are overriding the better part of his nervousness. He steps into the office, gives a quick glance around it before transferring the pen and notebook both to his left hand so he can extend his right for her to shake. ]

Hey there, my name's Cisco, Cisco Ramon. They told me you were probably the best one to come talk to? About, y'know... magic!

[ Wow, Cisco. Real specific, there. He huffs a little laugh at himself, ducking his head and explaining in a rush: ]

See, back home my job, well, part of my job was researching some pretty weird and unexplained stuff, trying to understand it and figure out how it works. But we didn't have magic. Magic was just... totally not a thing outside of stories for kids. And then I came here, and magic is real, like, I've seen people doing spells! So obviously, I wanna know more about how it works, but everybody I've met who does magic is more of a "I don't know the nuts and bolts, I just wave this wand and I levitate" type of person. So I thought I'd come talk to someone who studies it

[ Some of that was probably not information that Lucretia needed. In fact, most of it probably wasn't. He could have just walked in and said "Explain magic to me please," but Cisco is something of a nervous talker. ]

for billy

[franciscoramon]

[ To say that Cisco is nervous would be the understatement of the year. He is actually pacing within his workshop, checking the time on his phone every minute or so, and chewing on his nails until he notices what he's doing and forces himself to stop. He spends a good twenty minutes like this, waiting for Billy to show up, cursing his past self.

But his past self had known that the best way to avoid chickening out was to make arrangements in advance, so that Cisco couldn't bail or change his mind without looking incredibly suspicious. He had texted Billy and said it was important, and asked him to come by the workshop at a particular hour. And now that hour is here, and Cisco knows what he'd planned to do. He is going to tell Billy about his powers, and ask for his help.

That doesn't make it easy.

The knock on the door startles him as he is chewing at a cuticle, and Cisco quickly goes over to answer it, smiling a bit too wide when he sees Billy on the other side of the door. ]

Hey! C'mon in.

[ He lets Billy inside and closes the door after him, gesturing towards the pair of rolling chairs near the computer. Even as he sits down in one of them, Cisco is filled with restless energy. In total, Billy will only be the fifth person to know he has powers. Two had figured out on their own despite Cisco's efforts, and the other two had seen Cisco using his powers and all he'd done was fill in the gaps. So this is the first time it's really, truly been his choice, and it's harder than he'd anticipated. ]

Um. Right. So. I wanted to talk to you. About... some stuff.

[noassgardian]

[With a really urgent sounding text like that, Billy doesn't let himself be late meeting Cisco. He can't imagine what's going on really, but he wants to help him with whatever he's able to.

And he's never been to Cisco's workshop, or at least inside of it like this, so he does sort of take a look around as he's let inside. He's about to make a comment, but--

Yeah, he can totally tell Cisco is nervous. That's not really alleviating any concerns he has since that's-- probably not a good sign, is it? Something must really be going on. His interest in his surroundings fades for the time being as he goes to sit in the chair he's motioned towards.]

Hey-- yeah, alright. What's going on? ['Stuff' can mean such an infinite number of things that Billy can't help a concerned look.] Is everything okay?

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco holds out a calming hand, waving off Billy's concern with a quick: ] Yeah, yeah, everything's fine, this is not, like, a crisis.

[ With that out of the way, he sits back, and just... tries to figure out where to begin. It really is a strange feeling - Cisco's not someone who usually struggles with expressing himself. He is good with words, witty, fast on his feet when it comes to jokes and conversation. But he only barely has the language to articulate any of this, and very little practice with it.

After a few intensely awkward moments of silence in which he draws a few breaths, clearly about to speak, and then falters, he at last manages: ]

So you remember when we first met, and we were talking about our worlds, and you were telling me about mutants and being a mutant, and I was telling you about metahumans and I said I knew about them 'cause of working with the Flash and that was it.

[ He is working himself up to it, looking everywhere but at Billy. He picks up a multitool swiss army knife off the desk and messes with it, just so he has something to do with his hands as he talks. But he's got some momentum, now, so he can keep going: ]

I... may have been lying. A little bit. Or... a lot. 'Cause the thing is- [ It's such a strange disconnect; he knows Billy well enough now to know that of the people he could tell, he is a very safe option. He would have no reason to want to exploit Cisco's powers, and he's hardly going to be biased against people with powers when he is one himself. But somehow it still makes his heart race a little when he forces himself to just finally say it. ] -I'm. A metahuman.

i

[neyouze]

[ Though he's no stranger to trying to settle down in unfamiliar places, Morgana's finding it much harder to relax and think when he stands out so damn much. All that time spent in Yongen-Jaya complaining about being stuck in a cat's body - he's realizing he sort of took the advantages it gave him for granted. Now he has the freedom to walk around and do the same things that normal people do... but he gets stared at and stopped more often than he'd like. And he's not content to just hide in his friend's room all day.

Basically, he's purposefully trying to take backroads and alleyways to stay out of the public eye a little bit. He's a sneak; he can't help it. But he's also a responsible little thing - so when he hears an explosion coming from one of those deserted corners, he can't help but immediately run over. Just by poking his head into the alleyway, he can't tell exactly what happened, but he does see someone standing there-- ]

Are you okay?! I heard a huge bang from over here!!

[franciscoramon]

Watch out!

[ Cisco only just has time to shout the warning before the dumpster (which is billowing a copious amount of dark smoke) lets out another loud BANG and sends some more of its contents flying through the air. It's only sheer luck that none of it lands on Cisco, who holds his arms over his head.

After that he goes back to what he was doing, spraying the dumpster with a fire extinguisher, coughing and trying to keep his face out of the worst of the smoke. ]

It's okay, I got this, that should be the last one...

[ A few moments of spraying fire-suppressing foam later, Cisco emerges from the smoke. There's a not inconsiderable amount of soot on his face and clothes, but he's not on fire, and now the dumpster isn't either. ]

i'm on vacation - sorry that i'm slow :'(

[neyouze]

[ Fortunately, Morgana has quick reflexes. Catlike, even. Also catlike is the meowesque squawk he makes as he evades some toasted garbage flying his way. This despite the constant claims he's not a cat.

He's fighting his urge to rush into the smoke and try to help, but a. he knows that running into a big, possibly poisonous cloud of suffocating gas wouldn't help anyone, and b. he's probably not strong enough to carry another person out of there. Hearing the sound of a fire extinguisher brings him some peace of mind, at least. When Cisco emerges, the small feline creature sighs in relief before giving him a somewhat reprimanding look. ]

You look like you're all right... Thank goodness. [ a pause. ] -- What the heck is going on back there? You're not burning things for fun, are you? Even I could tell you how dangerous that is!

ii. nesting

[littlemisskate]

[Kate isn't looking for anything specific. She's wandering from store to store to see what all of the shops have. A home store makes sense considering the purpose of the city though Kate has no interest in shopping there. She's still getting to know her roommate and she doesn't want to push any unseen boundaries.

That doesn't mean she can't look.

Her finger gently runs along a decorative plate. There is a snake painted on it which always got Kate thinking of home, her bother and the Gecko's. She wonders what they were up to right now. Cisco's voice broke her from her thoughts and snapped her attention over to him and his plight.]

Huh? What are you looking for exactly?

[Knowing nothing about Cisco makes it a little difficult to offer a helpful opinion.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco feels a touch guilty when he sees that the young woman he was talking to had been lost in her own thoughts, and that he'd jarred her out of that with his sudden, random question. ]

Which would look better in an attic bedroom?

[ One of the sets of curtains is nice, but rather plain - just a rich, dark eggplant with a very faint texturing across it in diamond shapes. The other set is a bit more whimsical, with stars and planets and comets, and probably was meant for a child's bedroom in all honesty. ]

Elegant, or fun?

[littlemisskate]

[Kate regards the two sets of curtains with a serious stare. While the dark one will work well to get rid of any unwanted light, attics are usually smaller and something a little brighter or whimsical might be a little bit more suited. Her lips tug into a smile as she looks between them.]

That one.

[She points to the set with stars, planets and comets.]

I think that space is cool.

(i)

[signifies]

[ Clark isn't usually snooping around every corner of Riverview. If there's something unusual going on, the local police have it in hand, or any of the other superheroes and vigilantes look into it immediately.

This noise has been going on for a while. He can't hear anybody shouting in fear, so it's not urgent. But it keeps going on.

Clark goes as Clark, not Superman. He's holding his camera as he comes into the mouth of the alleyway. It's the best excuse he could think of on short notice. ]

What's going on here?

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco might not be shouting in fear, but he's not exactly in control of the situation at the moment. He had been trying to make something like the boot he'd had back in Central City - a device that could disable metahuman powers (and hopefully, some forms of magic) within a certain range. The only problem is, he's having a little trouble with the delivery system. Right now, the projectile version doesn't set up a power disruption pulse so much as blow up. A lot.

And now he's managed to pick the one alley that had some kind of oil spilled across the concrete, and the fire from the relatively small explosion is spreading. Rapidly. Cisco brought a fire extinguisher with him, and he's attacking the flames nearest to him, but it's pretty clear the fire is spreading faster than he can quell it. He is muttering to himself under his breath, a continuous stream of: ]

Shit! Shit shit shit...

[ He doesn't notice Clark until he hears him call out, and his response is immediate. He throws out an arm in warning, shouts: ]

Watch it! Don't come any closer! Clark?! [ Kind of hard to tell what with all the fire, but Cisco thinks he recognizes him. ] Just call the fire department, okay?

for chloe

[franciscoramon]

[ Though there are many aspects of Cisco's job that can be done at any hour of the day, delivering tech to the police station is not really one of them. Cops, it would seem, keep much saner and more regular hours than independent contractors. So even though he finished the newest version of a piece of tech he's been working on, he had to wait a little while before he could show up with it and see if it meets with general approval.

Normally he'd go straight to Eddie or Peggy, since they're they ones he knows best who work here, but neither of them seem to be around this morning. It might be early, but Cisco's been up all night, and he'd really like to get a proverbial rubber stamp so he can go home and collapse for a bit. ]

Yo, anybody here in charge? Or, like, at least feeling sufficiently decisive that they can tell me if this new model's gonna do it for ya?

[ The tech in question is a variation on what he'd made for Laurel - a sonic device that's meant to stun, but not do any permanent damage. Rather than have it attached to a choker, he's made these ones to be both projectile, and disposable. Which poses a whole new set of problems - one he's been dealing with for a week now. ]

[couldkillthedevil]

[If there's one thing Chloe relishes in, it's routine. Getting up every morning and having a set schedule makes her days easier, especially when she's got a daughter at home. Which is why she holds on to that notion in Trixie's absence, now that she's no longer in LA. It gives her a sense of normalcy, magic portals and the Devil notwithstanding.

So she's at the station bright and early when Cisco arrives to get a head-start on her work. She's nowhere near in charge, but she's knowledgable enough to know the basics of the tech he's brought in. There'd been a brief meeting about the inclusion of these so-called 'sonic stun devices', which seemed useful enough in Chloe's opinion. She's never hesitated in taking someone down when she absolutely had to, but she's not opposed to causing less damage if possible.

Hearing the weariness in his voice as he called out, Chloe's blue-uniformed figure emerges from the back of the station to assist him.]

Hey, yeah, sorry. They told us you were coming today. The sonic stun gun, right? If you need me to sign for anything, I can do that for you.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco is visibly grateful when someone steps up and comes out to greet him. It's a woman he's never spoken to before, and Cisco might have stopped to check her credentials or something (he can be a little paranoid about his tech getting into the wrong hands) if it weren't for the fact that he's seen her around here before. He might not know her name, but he recognizes her face, and considering how worn out he is, that's good enough. ]

Nah nah nah, the gun was like, five versions back. These ones are throwable, see.

[ And he slings a backpack from off his shoulder, reaching into it and pulling out a black sphere roughly the size of a tangerine. It doesn't look like much - there is a seam running along the circumference, and a button at the top. Cisco holds it out for her to take, explaining. ]

I haven't got anything to sign, I just need to run the design by somebody before I start cranking out more of 'em. I don't want to get all set up to fabricate a bunch only to get a memo saying "Actually..."

[ He looks up at Chloe, smiling - it's a little tired around the edges, but enthusiastic nonetheless. ]

So, what d'you say? You okay with stepping outside and testing this bad boy with me real fast? I'll let you get back to your paperwork after that. I know cops loooove paperwork.

for wally

[franciscoramon]

[ One of the things Cisco has always loved about the quarantine is that, compared to Central City, there's just a lot more diversity. Really, though, how could a city in Missouri compete with a moon that is full of the residents of dozens of different realities? A place where there are aliens and half-aliens and people who call themselves mutants? He loves the anonymity of it - not standing out, because almost everyone here stands out.

But despite all that, surprisingly enough, he's only really met one person thus far in his stay here who has hair quite as red as the man that he sees in the corridors of the headquarters for the Perimeter Guard. Cisco is just on his way out - he'd had a meeting earlier in the afternoon, to discuss some shock grenades he was developing the Guard, when he passes a red-haired man in the hall. He raises a hand in greeting, automatically, and it isn't until they've actually passed one another that Cisco stops in his tracks.

Cisco pivots around, looks at the guy's retreating figure. He's the right height, right build, and there's that hair... all in all he looks pretty much exactly like the Flash that he'd met a few weeks before, the one from another universe. It has to be a coincidence, right?

And yet Cisco can't seem to just let it go and keep on his way. Instead, he trots to catch up with the guy, calling as he does: ]

Hey, dude, wait up!

sorry for the lateness!

[otherflash]

[ Wally's mission right now as he makes his way down one of the hallways of the Guard's headquarters with his eyes focusing on a map of the areas outside the wall is to retrieve some snacks he has stashed away in a bag in his locker.

That's when he notices Cisco coming down the hallway from the opposite direction in his periphery vision, and plans to walk on by without any acknowledgment whatsoever, but settles for a slight nod after the other man's greeting, somehow managing to keep the knowing smile off his lips.

Cisco had certainly made a good first impression on Wally and everything he has heard about him when he's subtly asked around has backed that impression up, but he's still not quite ready to reveal his secret identity to him just yet.

The best way to avoid doing that is by limiting their interactions when he's not wearing the Flash suit.

It's something Wally thinks he's accomplished when Cisco walks by without a word, but before he can reach the other end of the hallway, he hears movement coming from behind him and what can only be Cisco's voice calling for someone to hold up.

Wally's expression is one of feigned confusion as he turns around to address Cisco. ]

Can I help you with something...?

no worries! :D

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco's eyes narrow; at this point he can't be sure if the voice is a match or if his memory is playing tricks on him. He knows how tempting it can be, to misremember things. Confirmation bias, or something like that.

He quickly dismisses the option of just asking flat-out. If he's wrong, then he risks compromising the Flash's safety, because he will need to explain how he had made the mistake. Cisco doesn't want to to that. But what are his other options? It's possible, he thinks, that he could do some kind of test. There's the Joe West method of just knocking over the nearest breakable object, but Cisco decides against that - it might not work on someone who isn't, well, Barry. Instead, with a tiny nod of decision, he says: ]

Think fast!

[ And he just... straight up lobs one of those prototype shock grenades right at Wally's face. Reflexes are tough to fight. At the very least, if he's wrong and ends up hitting some poor dude in the face, it won't endanger the Flash. Cisco can just pretend to be a straight-up asshole. ]

for eddie

[franciscoramon]

[ prompt ii from here ]

[ It had been, all in all, a long-ass day. The whole storm catastrophe had started while Cisco was at his workshop, and he'd had to set aside all his regular work to scramble and help with the efforts to figure out just WHAT it was. The acid rain had been a pretty big hindrance, but scientists throughout the city just video conferenced the shit out of the situation, and before too long, the right people had the right instructions to begin making the antidote for the evil, killer weather cloud.

He'd thought about staying in his workshop until it was sorted, but he was out of candy and couldn't remember the last time he'd actually eaten. So, gritting his teeth, Cisco had improvised himself a pretty dope umbrella out of some things he had around, and he'd made the mad dash for his apartment. Lucky for him, it wasn't too far, but things were definitely getting dicey by the time he got to the door.

A meal and a much needed shower later, Cisco is finally starting to feel like a human being again. And right then, the lights go out. Because of course they do. He gets dressed in the dark (why doesn't he have a flashlight, dammit?) and then comes down the stairs, calling out: ]

Eddie! Don't suppose you've got any candles up in here?

[causational]

[It's been a rough day. Eddie had been on duty when the rain started coming down, and had immediately jumped into action escorting people to safety along with his fellow officers. At least until the rain had started eating through his leather boots, then the rubber soles, and his rain jacket had started disintegrating. After getting called in by a superior, he'd reported that the rain had gotten his clothing but not his skin, and was issued some gear intended to stand up for longer.

It had mostly worked, but after about an hour in the rain getting people to safety, trying. His boss had taken one look at him, at the bright red spots forming on Eddie's hands and other places where the fabric had been eaten away, and ordered him to drive himself home as soon as possible. Thanking the powers that be for his car and underground parking, he managed to get back to the apartment without further damage, had stripped and stuffed his clothing in the trash, and then hopped in the shower to assess the damage and try to flush out the stinging acid burns.

At least until the power had gone out and the water had stopped running shortly afterward. Shivering, skin stinging in a couple of large patches, Eddie had dried off and gone into the kitchen to rifle around for candles. It's just as he's pulling out a little pack of tea lights that he hears Cisco coming down the stairs asking about candles. Eddie's acid-stung hands are still shaking as he flicks a lighter a few times, and rapidly cooling water is dripping down the back of his neck.]

Yeah. I'm in the kitchen trying to light them.

[If Cisco can see much of him, it's a pretty sorry sight - Eddie's standing there with his hair plastered to his forehead, hands patchy and red, wearing an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants, feet bare and equally red and patchy from the rain.]

I could use a hand.

[franciscoramon]

[ It's not as if the apartment is entirely pitch black, but Cisco's eyes are still adjusting. He comes down the stairs easily enough by holding onto the bannisters. After that, makes his way by feel, arms stuck out in front of him. The little flicks of light as Eddie tries to start the lighters are enough to get Cisco going in the right direction, but he hasn't been living in the apartment long enough to know the distances by heart. He misjudges and ends up banging his hip hard against the kitchen counter. He bites out an angry curse in Spanish, hissing with pain. But then he's coming around, reaching out for the lighter. ]

Here, I got it.

[ He misjudges again - Eddie is closer than he realized and Cisco ends up knocking a hand into his chest. But at least that gets a little laugh from him as he just feels his way over to Eddie's shoulder, then arm, then to the lighter in his hand. Cisco flicks it on with one easy movement, spots the tea lights, and gets to work. He lights about half of them before he sets the lighter down and actually looks up at Eddie.

Who looks... pretty bedraggled, all in all. At first Cisco only notices the wet hair (his own is still damp, but at least it's not dripping, the way Eddie's seems to be). But then he spots a tiny patch of red on Eddie's ear, and then on his hand, too. Which is when it sinks in that it's kinda weird Eddie couldn't get a lighter to light.

Cisco's face immediately goes worried all over, and he asks: ]

Are you okay?

morning after

[causational]

[It's the lack of oxygen and incredible heat that wakes up Eddie much earlier than usual the day after the acid rain - still buried under blankets, curled up close to Cisco, he's feeling stifled and stuffy, struggling to breathe in the space they're sharing, still cocooned under almost every blanket in the house. Pulling the top of them down, blearily, Eddie squints into the semi-darkness, sees the sunrise barely starting to tint the mountains in the distance, glances at the clock, which reads about four hours before he has to be up.

For a few long moments, he's incredibly disoriented, at least until he pushes back some of the covers and sees the state of Cisco, and himself, and his cheeks go red. The younger man doesn't stir when Eddie shoves most of the blankets off the bed until what's left is a comfortable temperature, and he flops down on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a few moments, chewing his lip, registering the hot stickiness of his body, the sore spots on his neck, the vague soreness of his limbs, a little stiff from exertion. The fact that his lower lip still feels slightly swollen.

Too drowsy to overthink, but thinking too much to fall immediately back to sleep, Eddie lies quietly in bed, his bare shoulder pressed against Cisco's skin, his eyes closed, as alternating waves of excitement and dread wash over him. Because this is gonna be tough, and awkward, but he thinks that he and Cisco can work through this, salvage their friendship. And it had been a good experience. Comforting. He'd felt safe. After a while, Eddie manages to drift off again into a hazy half-sleep.

It's about two hours later when he's awakened by his phone buzzing on the side table, and he pushes himself up onto an elbow, blinking blearily at it before picking it up and sliding out of bed, almost tripping over the clothing still twisted around his legs. Managing to get out of the room safely, he speaks quietly, exhales a put-upon sigh as he's called into work, and then hangs up and goes to hop in the shower. Wandering back into his room in a towel, he pauses for a moment to watch Cisco sleep, his hair a mess, his lips just slightly parted, a dark bruise visible on his bare shoulder, licks his lips and tries to push down the fear of what Cisco is going to think or feel when he wakes up, of how their conversation is going to go in the wake of this.

As quickly and quietly as possible, he changes into one of his suits, tugs an extra, light blanket up over Cisco to make sure he stays warm even without Eddie's presence in the bed, and scribbles down a quick note that he leaves on the side table - 'Got called in to work. Should be off at 5:30 tonight. Text me if you want, but we can talk later on. I promise everything is okay.'

And with that, he slides out of the room, biting his lower lip as he lets himself out of the apartment and heads off to work, and then proceeds to check his phone every 10 minutes, dreading and anticipating when Cisco will wake.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco's experience of waking up is very different. He sleeps soundly, only drifting halfway back to consciousness when Eddie's phone buzzes and the mattress creaks as he sits up. He's back asleep moments later, as the shower begins to run, and sleeps through Eddie adding another blanket to him, and leaving him a note.

It is a few hours later when he finally opens his eyes. The room is filled with warmth and bright yellow sunlight - none of the gloom or chill of the previous day. Cisco rolls over in the bed; the sheets are very rumpled and the whole thing smells of sex and Eddie, and what a lovely combination that is. He notices he's alone, but doesn't think much of it: they've been living together long enough for Cisco to know that Eddie isn't one for sleeping in. Probably off jogging or making perfect breakfast or something lovely like that. Cisco can still feel the echoes of the night before in his body, like it's seeped into his very muscles and tendons and bones.

He doesn't even see the note until after he's been awake for twenty minutes or so. At first, his heart leaps, stomach all fluttery with butterflies. Eddie had left a note, just for him. He rolls onto his stomach and reaches out for it, grinning from ear to ear. That grin doesn't fade right away: not after the first time he reads the note. The first part is simple enough, but the last two sentences are... off. He reads them again, trepidation just beginning to creep in and cloud over that bright blissful contentment.

Text me if you want, but we can talk later on. I promise everything is okay.

That doesn't sound like the kind of note you would leave for someone you had gotten together with the night before. The kind of note you leave for someone you've begun something with. It's not sweet nothings... it is damage control. Which doesn't make any sense. Cisco reads and rereads that last sentence; Eddie thinking it was necessary to promise things are okay means, inescapably, that things aren't. Otherwise, he wouldn't need to say it, and certainly not like that.

Cisco had thought it had been so clear. Last night he'd cracked himself open, bared everything he'd been hiding for so long now. He'd said he wanted Eddie, and Eddie had pulled him in close, kissed him in the dark like he was drowning for it. Cisco had thought that was that; they'd both come clean, and now the two of them would be together.

He goes back over everything he can remember from the night before; not just lingering on tiny wonderful glimmering details, as he had when he was still half asleep (Eddie's throaty little moans, the strength of his hands, the rasp of his stubble as they kissed, the look on his face when Cisco told him he was proud of him for not letting the world turn him mean). What had they actually said to one another? They had never really agreed to anything, had they? Hadn't said much of anything at all. Cisco tries to recall their words exactly, but the more that he thinks, goes over it again and again, the more muddled it becomes, the memories getting wrapped up and tangled in his current rising fear. He starts doubting his own impressions, soon enough.

It's clear he'd been wrong about a lot, but just how much? If it hadn't been the moment their friendship shifted to something more, was it just sex? A meaningless tipsy mistake? Was it worse? Had he been exaggerating certain parts in his mind - Eddie's eagerness? Was that final sentence a reassurance because Eddie thought Cisco would be feeling rightly guilty, about pressuring him into something he didn't want all that much?

That thought propels Cisco from the bed. He gathers up his clothes from between then sheets, getting into them with slightly trembling limbs. He hauls all the bedding off - the blankets, the duvets, the sheets, and carries them all in a bundle to the little laundry room. His stomach is in knots. What had he done?! What had he even been thinking?! Of course, Eddie wasn't his boyfriend right now. That was just an immature, selfish fantasy, untethered to the reality of the situation. How could he have imagined otherwise? When he knows, has known this whole time, that it is impossible.

He's glad, then, that Eddie is due to be at work for a while longer. He only makes it one load of laundry in before he sits down on the floor of the little room, back pressed against the dryer, and has a good long cry. Cisco feels a little calmer, after that, wiping his cheeks dry with the heel of his palm and making a decision. He finds his cell phone and about thirty drafts later sends a text to Eddie: ]

how bout i drop off lunch for u? sandwiches ok y/n?

[ Cisco had brought Eddie lunch at work twice before, now, on days when he was absolutely swamped with work. There is precedent, but neither that precedent nor the studiously casual tone of the text are all that subtle. He can't imagine waiting until evening to talk to Eddie, and he can't imagine trying to have this conversation by text. Cisco has to be able to look him in the face, to be extra careful not to do any more damage than he already has.

As he's switching over the laundry, the little plastic star drops out of the tangle of sheets and lands on the back of the washing machine. When Cisco sees it, his chest tightens - first with an almost reflexive delight, and then a moment later, with awful yawning sadness. Impulsively, he reaches up and flicks it with his finger, so it drops back into the tiny dark space behind the washing machine. ]