I is for Irresistible

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He's irresistible
up close and personal
Now inescapable
I can hardly breathe

He knows he shouldn´t. He really, really shouldn´t fall in love with James. They were both Rogues, ex-villains (maybe not so "ex" in James case) and besides - James called himself the Trickster. God of lies, of mischief and deception. And he was damn good at it. Hartley knew that falling in love with James was a bad idea that would eventually get him hurt. He had been right then.

More than just physical
Deeper than spiritual
His ways are powerful
Irresistible to me

But when he sees James again, sees that brilliant smile, the bright eyes...hell, even the striped pants were something he terribly missed. James knows that Hartley loves him. He always knows what Hartley thinks. James is not a good guy, not the guy you´d want to introduce to your parents (ok, he wouldn´t introduce any of his lovers to his parents anyway). But James winks, there is this teasing grin...He pulls Hartley in an embrace. "Come, "he says, "Come with me." He whispers sweet promises into Hartley´s ear, hot breath tickling the hair on his neck. James´arm around him feels so good, so incredibly right. James takes his hand and pulls Hartley away to his apartment.

Don't you think I'm trying to tell my heart what's right
That I should really say goodnight
But I just can't stop myself

"I shouldn´t be here." Hartley says.

"But here you are" James replies. "Stay." He looks at Hartley with his eyes, the clear blue eyes that hold so many promises for Hartley, for a future...

He grins again, that tempting grin Hartley can never resist, that always makes him give in.

"James, I...I shouldn´t" he turns his head away.

James comes to him, much too close, not near enough. He clasps Hartley´s hands inside his own. "I promise," he says with a solemn voice, "I won´t leave you. I will never leave you alone. Please-" he lifts their joined hands and plants a brief, soft kiss on Hartley´s fingers, "don´t go away."

When I feel his arms hooked around me
I know I'm meant to say no

James pulls him into an embrace, Hartley tenses. This is so wrong - but why does it feel right then? He relaxes into the embrace, melts his body against James´. Hartley has wanted this for so long. His mind still protests, his common sense says "no", but his heart...his heart

Can't you see
Whenever he's close to me
I really find it hard to breathe
He's so irresistible
You know
He's so irresistible

James kisses his forehead tenderly and buries his hair in Hartley´s hair. Hartley leans his head against James´shoulder, feeling so comfortable like he hasn´t felt in such a long time. James strokes his back lightly while Hartley can just cling onto him. A warm something is in Hartley´s belly and his finger tips tingle. It feels really strange but not unpleasant. It feels good in fact. No, perfect. His knees threaten to go weak and James-

James with his tan skin, the fair hair, eyes clear as the sky, the freedom and the safety not to fall; this strong arms that won´t let him go, won´t let him fall, the voice that whispers sweet promises so softly, and so quietly that no one besides Hartley can hear them.

The grin; the grin reminds Hartley of better days, when all they had to worry about was a superhero. When life was a game, thrilling, exciting and when it didn´t hurt anyone. When they were fighting the Flash, always smiling, grinning and coming up with wacky plans that would never work in 1 million years, when it was not about winning or losing, it was about playing, it was about living right here, right now. There were no worries about the future, there was no past dragging them down - there was this mood of invincibility in the air. You can´t beat us, we can´t lose. We only lose when we give up, but we won´t - we are Rogues.

The grin tells him all that, past promises, past fun, adventure, the thrill, the fun, the happiness. The grin says that with James he can have all that back. All it takes are a few simple words.

"I...I" Hartley begins. He isn´t sure what to say. One moment all he wants to do is to throw himself in James´arms, to finally let go of doubts and insecurity, the next his mind tell him that there won´t be happiness, that his heart will get broken again, that no good will come out of this. His heart says yes, his body says yes, his mind wants to say yes.

He wants James, he wants to be with James. He desires James so much...too much. He won´t ever let go if he says yes now. There will be no turning back. If he says yes now...

Whenever he's close to me
I really find it hard to breathe
He's so irresistible
You know
He's so irresistible

He buries his head against James´chest, not sure what to say, not sure what he wants. James laces his fingers in his copper hair, his other hand strokes his back. Hartley puts his arms around James and squeezes.

"Don´t let me go" a voice says. "Hold me" it whispers. Hartley takes a deep breath and with the air comes the smell. James smell - it´s true what they say. One particular scent can take you back, take you back into one certain time.

Hartley is back with James. It´s in Hartley´s apartment at that time. James came over for a few beers and a game. He had claimed that Hartley´s sound system was better and his TV was bigger. James showed up with a sixpack and chips. Hartley accepted, but touched none of it. It´s James after all, no Rogue made the mistake of accepting edible goods from him twice. They sat on the couch, cheering, ranting, boo-ing the referee for being a moron...it´s almost perfect. Hartley has always had more than a little affection for James. James always acted like he hadn´t know or suspected anything, but now Hartley knows that James had been just teasing then. He always knows perfectly well what Hartley thinks. The unspeakable happens: James yawned, stretched and when he put his arm back down it rested over Hartley´s shoulders. Hartley grinned at first: "Come on, Trickster-" but when he looked at James´face there was something different. It wasn´t the goofy grin, the mischief-grin, not the badboy-grin - it was sincere. It was a "I know what you think. I. KNOW."-grin.

The playful smile fell from Hartley´s face when he realized what this meant. There was no need for words. James tugged lightly and Hartley leaned to the side, resting against Trickster´s side. He felt solid muscle under the T-shirt and he felt warm. There was brief shifting, each seeking to get more comfortable. Hartley pulls his knees up and tilts to the side, just a bit. James´arm wanders from his shoulders to his waist and the fingers played with his belt loops there, skated over the rim of his jeans and stroked the skin. Hartley puts an arm behind James and leaned against his chest. He inhaled and smelled James. He smelled like something sweet, like a scent from his childhood Hartley is incredibly familiar with but just can´t place.

It gave him a twisted feeling in his abdomen.

It gives him a twisted feeling in his abdomen. In the past, there were more comfortable scenes like that, there was cuddling, snuggling, kissing and more.

Hartley begins to feel it. He becomes light-headed. And warmth- no, heat- rises in him

But I can't stop fanning the fire
I know I'm meant to say no

If he doesn´t say no now, he never will. He will never leave again, he won´t be able to resist ever again. He feels so intoxicated. James is there for him, offering silent support. He is not demanding, just there. There for him. Maybe-

His mind says No! Don´t you realize? He´s done it again, he is seducing you. He makes you weak. Don´t you remember disappointment when he left? The hurt, the sadness- wasn´t it painful enough? He is the Trickster, do you think that he can change? That he has changed for you-

Hartley wants his mind to shut up. James is talking. Talking so quietly that no one on earth beside Hartley can hear him. Hartley hears love, promises and sweet little nothings. Hartley feels James´hand, feel the body pressed to his. He feels James voice, the vibrations in his chest. Hartley hears. He hears the voice, he hears the turmoil inside of him and he hears the heart. The heartbeat, the most archaic rhythm there is. He listens. He hopes and he fears. He bites his lower lip. Why is it so hard? Why?

James´hand curls at the back of his neck, gently massaging. He is making it more difficult. There is this heat, this desire. Hartley notices something. James is not demanding anymore. He waits for him to decide, for him to make his move. James offers, not demands. James is there, waiting for him.

"You," Hartley finally speaks, "you have changed." He lifts his head and James puts his arms around him. Hartley almost hears the thousand questions James has now, but James is patient and waits. "There was a time when we would have done more than just standing here. At that point, we were already over there-" he indicates the bed, "and screwing our brains out."

James nods, a grin tugging at his face. "I know" he replied softly.

"Instead, you wait for me. You wait for me to make my move and you - " he breaks off, searching for a word, "you are being patient. Not so in a rush anymore".

James nods.

"You know, there was a time when you swept me off my feet. When you came into my life like a giant wave, like the tide breaking my will and you were so damn irresistible then-" James has a small smile on his face, no doubt recalling some of those precious moments.

Hartley finally lifts his head, locking eyes with James. What he sees is sincerity and love. Hartley grins and winds his hair into James golden hair.

"What the hell are you waiting for? You didn´t honestly think that I could ever resist you?" he pulls James down into a deep, devouring kiss full of passion, new and old love. Both don´t break the kiss, pouring so much emotion into it, until they desperately need oxygen. They both pant, eyes still locked, arms clinging at each other. They both have to smile.

"You´re so damn beautiful, " James says with a rough, almost hoarse voice, "you know I couldn´t stay away. You are irresistible."

And then there is the moment when James sweeps Hartley off his feet, when they kiss again and end up on the bed screwing each other´s brains out.