Work Text:
Barry knew he had reacted to Doctor Wells saying Hartley’s name. How could he not?
He was sure Doctor Wells had noted it too. He hadn’t said anything, hadn’t brought it up when Cisco and Caitlin were telling him about Hartley at S.T.A.R. Labs.
Their very negative view of Hartley, and the hint of resentment in Caitlin’s voice when she called Hartley Doctor Wells’ favourite.
Hartley was Doctor Wells’ favourite. Hartley had spoken fondly of him; it was why Barry had been quick to trust him.
Hartley hadn’t been ready yet, and Barry had been fine with giving him time, assuming they’d have all the time in the world.
And then they hadn’t.
But if Hartley was going to have mentioned him to anyone, it would be Doctor Wells.
Barry had to get back to work. He had a job to do.
His glance back at Hartley’s picture was too fast for any of them to notice.
Eddie had grabbed Joe out his lab right before Caitlin called Barry.
And he’d run.
Run as fast as he could, to Rathaway Industries, to where Hartley was firing pulses at his father’s building. He’d run, he’d confronted him, and Hartley had brought up Doctor Wells, and Cisco, and Caitlin, had asked if they would hear Barry die-
Barry had stilled, their faces so close as he’d grabbed Hartley’s front, grabbing his gloves.
Their eyes met.
“No,” Hartley shook his head.
“Put your hands up!” one of the remaining officers said, all their guns still aimed at Hartley.
This wasn’t like the other times. Barry had been alone then. There were people around now, people who would see him run.
“Please,” Hartley said. “I need...”
Barry nodded, and ran.
Iris had been just as impressive at the press conference as Barry knew she would be. Barry assumed Doctor Wells had specifically asked her assuming she might go easy on him, but that wasn’t Iris West.
He was expecting to be on the receiving end of it too, for ditching her at Jitters and sending her a very vague apology text while waiting for Cisco to wake up. At least, that was how Barry had interpreted the meaningful glare she’d given him after the press conference.
She’d linked her arm in his to pull him out the building.
“I assume this wasn’t what your call was about,” Iris said.
“Cisco’s got a bad concussion,” Barry said. “I, um, Caitlin called me to let me know.”
“Is he going to be okay?” Iris asked, all concern and Barry felt the guilt eating him alive.
“I think so,” Barry said. “He was just, she found him unconscious and thought she might need help getting him to hospital, but he’s awake now, so she’s keeping an eye on him.”
Iris nodded.
“And I assume they wanted to talk about that,” Iris said, looking back as they walked out the main doors of C.C.P.D. and down the stairs.
Barry nodded.
“Did you know it killed Caitlin’s fiancé?” he asked. “Ronnie went inside, he stopped the accelerator blowing up the whole building. He saved a lot of lives that night, but it cost him his own.”
“He’s not dead.”
A figure was leaning tucked beside the stairs, hood pulled low.
“Ronnie,” Hartley said. “Tell Caitlin and Cisco to look for Martin Stein.”
Barry pushed Iris behind him a little.
“I won’t hurt you,” Hartley said.
“You haven’t exactly given me much reason to believe that today,” Barry said.
“Barry,” he started.
“I’m not doing this,” Barry said. “We’re right outside a police station, Hartley-”
“And I’ll go inside, but I need to tell you something.”
“Barry,” Iris said. “What’s going on?”
“This is Hartley Rathaway,” Barry said.
“I know who he is,” Iris said. “And what he did earlier.”
“You remember before my coma,” Barry said. “And I told you I was seeing someone and I was going to introduce you at some point, but he was nervous.”
Iris nodded.
“Iris, this is Hartley Rathaway,” Barry said. “My ex, I guess.”
“I do recognise you,” Iris said. “You were at the hospital.”
Hartley nodded.
“You came to see me?” Barry asked.
“After I managed to find out what had happened,” Hartley said. “And you seized and flat lined. Three times in two days, and when I went back on the third day your room was empty, and I heard people talking and I thought...”
“I was moved to S.T.A.R. Labs,” Barry said. "I did try and find you when I woke up, but you'd moved and your number wouldn't connect."
“I thought you’d died,” Hartley admitted. “I thought... I thought you had gone, and it was because I couldn’t stop him from turning it on. I thought I’d killed you.”
Hartley looked at him and that urge to kiss him reared in Barry, not for the first time that day.
“That’s why you did this,” Iris said as Barry kept quiet. “You wanted him to admit it was his fault.”
“He ruined my life,” Hartley said. “I thought he stole yours.”
Barry shook his head.
“Why wait so long?” he asked.
“I had to get my gloves right,” Hartley said. “I know we don’t have time. He’s lying about his paralysis.”
“Hartley, you can’t just-”
“He was standing last night,” Hartley said. “He moved, too quickly, I thought he might be the Flash at first, it’s why my plan was... I found him on the floor in S.T.A.R. Labs earlier, he couldn’t walk then, it’s not as fake as I first thought, but he wasn’t near his chair.”
“Why would we believe you?” Iris asked.
“He was there last night,” Hartley said. “Right under the glass as it shattered, yet-”
“There wasn’t a scratch on him,” Barry frowned, the same question as earlier, at Doctor Wells’ home. “What do you want, Hartley?”
“You not to trust him,” Hartley said. “I’ll go inside quietly. I’ll answer their questions. You won’t have to see me again. Just, please Barry, don’t trust Harrison Wells.”