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Cisco had always had a birthmark on his wrist, it was in the shape of a butterfly. Nothing had ever come of it and it wasn't life threatening so he, along with his family, let it drop into oblivion.
He had always been drawn to science, to the unknown, to the (theoretical) multiverse. Ever since he could comprehend the idea of another universe out there.
He worked his ass off, got hired at his dream job, made friends, made enemies, and suffered loss. Before he even met Barry.
Barry Allen was The Flash. They had so many good memories together just in the first year after the particle accelerator explosion, and then Cisco suffered a greater loss. His mentor, Harrison Wells, turned out to be a homicidal speedster from the future. Something that kept him up at night for months, he still can't shake the feeling of betrayal that rests in his bones sometimes.
And then, Jay entered their world. A person from another universe. The multiverse theory was now proven true, and Cisco was one of the people witnessing it.
And again, he walked into their lives, Harrison Wells from Jay’s earth. A man that looked exactly like the man that had betrayed Cisco, that had betrayed everyone he loved. But he was different, better, smarter, less-murder-y.
And he also had a sense of remorse for what he did on his earth, something that their Wells did not have. It was a nice change, once he got used to his presence it was like the routine was back. Banter, coffee, movies, science. Repeat. It was quiet, familiar, something that brought him ease in the chaos of finding and catching zoom.
And then Harry was shot,
----
He was at Harry’s bedside now, they had successfully gotten the bullet out, but he was still asleep. Breathing peacefully as the machines beeped and monitored his vitals. He had rushed home from star city as soon as he could. He felt a pull towards Harry, the same pull he had felt his entire life. It was a weird feeling, he hadn't really felt a pull like this with people before.
And Harry moved, his forearm exposed for the first time since coming through the portal, there was a birthmark in the shape of a butterfly, the same birthmark that was on Cisco’s wrist.
“What the hell.” he whispered to himself as he let the discovery sink in.
What Cisco didn't know, and what he was soon to find out, was that earth two had soulmates. When you’re born, you’re born with a mark that only your soulmate has. You can have multiple soulmates, platonic or romantic. It doesn't matter, everyone has a mark. Harry was born with a complex soulmate mark, a CSM, most people are born with stars or lines but his was specific, more complicated than those. It made him even more of an outcast than he already was.
He was surprised when his wife didn't care about the mark, only because she didn't have one to begin with.
And then when Jesse was born, she had his mark, and he understood. His wife’s last gift to him before she left forever. He couldn't, wouldn't fault her for leaving. It was out of her control anyway.
He went on, raising a little girl and a tech empire, still with a pull toward something more.
He had an urge to get better, smarter, to push himself to get…somewhere. He hadn't figured it out until the particle accelerator aftermath, until after Zoom had taken Jesse.
Until he had wandered over to the other earth.
He didn't have just one soulmate, he had two.
And his other soulmate could barely look at him, but it was plain to see, Cisco Ramon had the same mark on his wrist.
But the other thing that was plain to see was that Earth one didn't have soulmates. So, he would have to wait, see how things went, and by the looks of it, he’d be waiting a while.
Now he’s lying in a hospital bed, fighting to come back to everything.
And Cisco doesn't know he’s fighting to come back to him specifically.
—-
When Harry wakes up, it’s blurry and unfocused, but he can make out a figure sitting next to him on the bed. He instinctually reaches for the figure's hand, still not fully conscious. Still not fully thinking he’s anywhere but in the infirmary of Earth-one’s Star Labs, before his eyes refocus and ruin the illusion there’s a small part of him that truly believes his wife was right there beside him and not six feet under in a graveyard he can barely remember now.
Cisco startles at the contact, but his hand instantly grips onto Harry’s, like a lifeline. It was sudden and Harry's face is unreadable as he comes to, but Cisco grips onto Harry’s hand like they’re hanging off a cliff and Harry is the tether on the other side. Their marks are touching, and Cisco can feel something growing inside of him, like an urge to ask why? Why do we have the same birthmark?
Then, Harry’s eyes refocus, and the illusion dissipates, and he realizes it’s Cisco and not his wife suddenly back from the grave. That little part of himself recedes back into the shadows as the realization hits him. A tear rolls down his cheek as the soreness that comes after surgery hits him physically. For a moment he doesn't even realize he’s still got a grip on Cisco’s hand.
And then he lets go, and it feels like Cisco is falling from the metaphorical cliff.
“Why do we have the same birthmark?” it was the question on his mind, he blurted it out like ripping off a bandaid.
“I, I don't know.” It was a half-lie. Harry had genuinely no clue why Cisco had his mark, but he also knew, deep down he had known since he saw the same mark on Cisco’s wrist one of many times they had stayed up watching old movies.
“You’re lying, Harry.” He called his bluff, Cisco was always good at doing that.
“Okay, fine, you want to do this right now? hm? “ He sat up, a bit too fast but he could hold his own, and faced Cisco. His cold blue eyes boring a hole into Cisco.
“Do what now?” confusion was etched into Cisco’s brown eyes.
“On my Earth, we have soulmates.” he was out of breath, damn my bullet wound i need to get this out. He thought, giving no room for Cisco to talk.
“When we’re born we get marks on a part of our bodies, you can have multiple or none,and you’re drawn to whoever else has your mark. Through some invisible force or feeling, you’re drawn to their presence and things they like. Anything about them, all because you share a mark.”
Another deep breath in.
“My wife didn't have a mark. When she met me, I thought she was crazy. Dating, and then marrying, someone you know has someone else out there, but then we had Jesse. And she has the same mark. And I think I know what this thing is telling me, finally.” He gestured to his wrist, looking at Cisco like Cisco had the answers to everything.
“This…is a lot of information.” Cisco chewed on..everything for a minute.
“Are you saying that all three of us are soulmates?” Cisco said carefully. It made sense, the pull he had felt to go further, the pull towards his favorite (now proven) theory, the pull towards Harry himself. In his memories of times when the three of them had been together, the pull was there for Jesse, but in a dull way. Maybe that’s what it feels like on his earth to have a platonic soulmate?
It was a lot to take in but, Harry nodded. A lot had happened in the three years since the particle accelerator explosion, that being said, this was a pretty tame concept for Cisco to grasp. And anyway, many cultures and science geeks alike have their own interpretations on soul mates, so it’s not unheard of.
“Okay, I believe you, but what does this mean?” Cisco looked up at Harry, he didn't know what would happen next. He just wanted Harry to stay.
“What do you want it to mean?” Harry asked softly, as if the air surrounding them was as fragile as glass.
And then Cisco saw an opportunity to be honest,
“I want you to stay.” he said just as softly.
“Well, I can't exactly go anywhere right now.”
“No, I mean, I want you to stay after we stop Zoom, and I want you to keep staying.” It was a half baked attempt at saying i love you, don't go back to earth-two without saying that…exactly.
Harry’s eyes go wide, a smirk develops on his thin features, he knows exactly what Cisco means and it puts a warm feeling in his chest.
“I love you too,” he says, for the first time since his wife died,
Cisco stands up, moving closer to him, they had never really been close to each other but there had been movie nights that ran too late, where either one of them accidentally fell asleep on the other.
Cisco came to rest against the bed, in between Harry’s legs that were dangling over the side. His hands rested on Harry’s hips.
They’d never done closeness, not on purpose, everything Cisco was doing was based on instinct not logic. Following the pull, even if it meant doing things without logic. Isn't that what love is? And Cisco could admit it to himself, he wouldn't be feeling like this, doing any of this if he didn't love Harry, truly.
So he kissed him, like Harry would never leave. And Harry kissed him back because he wouldn't leave.
“I love you.” It was a promise, unbreakable and final. Cisco said it with his whole chest, heavy and meaningful.
Harry knew Cisco loved him, Cisco didn't even need to say it, he had already said it by saying stay. But hearing those words from his soulmate, it made him feel warm inside.
They stayed there, kissing, feeling each other, practically melting together until they heard Caitlin’s shoes on the hard floor come right up to the door.
She hadn't seen anything but Harry out of bed and furrowed her eyebrows at this violation of her orders.
“Harry, you’re not supposed to be out of bed.” she pointed out, to which Harry smiled at Cisco, and then he swung his legs back onto the bed with a groan of pain. Sighing to himself when he finally got back into a comfortable position.
Caitlin stood in front of his bed, her eyebrows still furrowed like she couldn't believe him.
“Do I need to put a guard at the door for you to actually listen to me?” she asked him.
“No, i’ll rest, i swear.” he laughed, both Caitlin and Cisco raised their eyebrows at the noise. It was unfamiliar and good.
“Well, okay then, I'll be in the cortex if you need anything.” Caitlin smiled as she walked away.
They didn't have to tell anyone yet, but as she walked away, Cisco snaked his hand over to where Harry’s laid on the bed and held onto it.
It was peaceful. For the first time since the particle accelerator explosion, they had a peaceful night. Falling asleep right beside each other. Knowing exactly why they were so drawn to each other, and being more than content with the outcome.