#harthawne

oooh absolutely okay!!! <3333

so in my head they're often exes having dated in college at some point (Hartley's I think canonically in the show a little older than Team Flash, somewhere between 27-30 in season 1 and I know Eddie didn't necessarily HAVE to go to college to become a detective but he's a Thawne so I think he probably did)

neither of them were ready for a real relationship - Eddie was discovering his sexuality and Hartley had JUST come out to his parents and we all know how well that goes, so it ended messily with a lot of miscommunication (but Eddie was definitely still a supportive boyfriend when he heard how Hartley's parents reacted)

they meet again during or after The Sound and The Fury (if during, I like the idea of Eddie shooting Hartley's gauntlets, maybe even while he was still wearing them, to save Barry - if after, maybe Hartley actually gets sued by his shitty parents for attacking Rathaway Industries and maybe arrested so Hartley's pissy with him and bitchy but there's TENSION)

Eddie and Iris break up at some point either because of all the EoWells shit or Iris getting fed up with the lying or because Iris and Barry have feelings for each other

meanwhile, Hartley gets over his jealousy and hangups with EoWells and redirects his petty revenge plan energy slightly

Eddie and Hartley rekindle their romance and they're much healthier about it now cause they're both older and more mature <3333

ooooh yes it's always okay bestie!!! <3333

I think they'd probably start with drinks or coffee, something low stakes where they can catch up after work and get to know each other again since so much has happened, a slow start with no pressure just to see where things go, to see if they can actually start something again

after I can see them going to a little cafe for dinner or back to Eddie's place (Hartley's a very private person so I think it'd take a bit before he was comfortable with Eddie coming back to his) - somewhere quiet and private and I don't think they'd kiss or anything like that yet but it would still be intimate and romantic and sweet

either that OR (and it's very Missouri, very Midwestern of me but it just popped in my head) depending on the time of year I could absolutely see Eddie convincing Hartley to come with him to like a summer or fall festival - booths, games, a carnival, candy apples, funnel cakes, the whole shebang! Hartley would think it was a little ridiculous and more social than he'd like but he'd humor Eddie because Eddie ALWAYS manages to make it a good time for them both (of course, there's some sort of country music stage/karaoke/talent show something or other and Hartley might not participate right then and there but he'd definitely drag Eddie along once they were through to show him what a real singer can do lol)