Kinetic Frequencies |The Flash|

|III|

"Wait," Julia yanked Hartley into the nearest alley to her house, as the two of them were getting stared at now by everyone else around them. "So, you have super hearing now?" She lowers her voice, and Hartley nodded. "I'd say that is cool, but I have a feeling that there's a huge downside to it, am I right?" She asked gently and he nodded.

"Can we get back to yours, before I explain?" Hartley asked and Julia, she nodded at him.

"Of course. Let's get going Hart, we need to get home before dark. I live in the bad part of town, remember?" She asked quietly and Hartley smiled a bit at her words. "What is it? Hartley, you are staring." She pointed out and he'd grin a little bit wider.

"I'm just now remembering, why exactly it was that I loved you in the first place." Hartley murmured as he laughed softly, at the look of surprise on her face. "Oh, come on. You didn't read that, in my head?" He asked and Julia flinched a bit at his words, which were meant to be a joke. "Jules?" He asked and she just shakes her head, as she adjusted the messenger bag strap that was hung over her shoulder.

"Let's just go." Julia spoke softly and there was pain in her voice, and she made her way out of the alleyway and she was almost storming out of it, as if she was angry.

"Julia? Jules, wait, hold up." Hartley called after her, but she didn't look at all like she was going to slow down, as she continued to walk quickly, forcing him to jog to catch up.

Julia took out her keys and managed to unlock the door to her house and it was despite the fact that her hands as it were, shuddered like she'd just been scared badly.

"Hey, what did I say?" Hartley asked and Julia tossed her bag down quickly onto the couch.

"Kate, Hartley Rathaway is here again! Be forewarned!" She shouted loudly up the stairs and a quiet voice was heard in response.

"Look, what did I say?" Hartley asked and Julia shoved her shaking hands in her pockets, in a very weak attempt to be hiding it.

"You act like-- you act like I know should know everything about you because I read your mind... but Hart, I really don't. I block out other thoughts and everyone else's memories, unless I need to use it to help somebody. The way you said it, it makes me sound a lot like a person, who is determined to destroy everybody's privacy." She shakes her head and Hartley winced at the pain in her face. "When I choose to look into somebody's head, it is only to help them." She said very quietly and Hartley was woefully unprepared for her slap that smacked him across the face. "Don't ever try to say otherwise." She said quietly and he sighed, as he rubbed his cheek.

"Hey... do you still like me?" Hartley asked and Julia raised her eyebrows, as she turned back to him. "You know what I mean, Jules, do you still like me?" He asked again and Julia sighed.

"Maybe a little. But there's nothing that I can do about it. You're gay and I'm straight, there's nothing I can do. I should just forget about it." Julia spoke and there was pain in her voice, a pain that sounded a lot like heartbreak.

It was just occurring to Hartley after Julia had left the room, that he'd made things extremely awkward with Julia.

Hartley's mind flashed back to when he came out to Julia, right after they'd just had their third anniversary date together.

"Jules, I have to tell you something and... if you hate me for it, I can and I will, understand why." Hartley was saying as the two walked down the street, with Julia wearing Hartley's jacket since it was colder that night, than usual in Central City.

"Hartley, I would never and probably could never, hate you for anything. I swore that I would always be here to listen, to accept what you said. Don't you remember that?" Hartley smiled down at her, as he kissed her on the forehead as they walked.

"I'm... I'm gay." Hartley said and Julia looked at him, her mouth briefly agape for a few seconds, before she shuts it. "I can't tell if your silence is a good thing, or if it is a bad thing." He said and she shrugged at him.

"I'll still love you either way. As a best friend, as a girlfriend. It does not matter, Hartley. I will stand by you, it doesn't matter to me any of the circumstances." Julia said and Hartley sighed with relief, as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"It feels so good to finally get it off of my chest. I just needed to tell you and before I told my parents." Hartley said.

Hartley hadn't noticed it before, but he could have sworn that in the good memory, he had spotted pain in Julia's eyes. "How the hell did I miss it?" He quietly asked himself, after Julia had gone up to her room in a death-like silence.