Forging New Paths

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"Oh," Luca said softly, looking around a bit as he tried to remember which way to go. "Jellyfish. . ." It was easier to remember with the reminder, and he was eager to follow Anthony to the room where the lights were almost dim enough to make him feel afraid, but the jellyfish habitats cast gentle light into the room. He was distracted immediately, but when he finally noticed a bench he chose a tank to look at and sat down to rest, transfixed. With a small, unconscious smile on his face and an almost sleepy attention centered on the soft lights and fluid bodies of the jellyfish, he could have sat there forever.


The way Garrett went a bit bashful was endearing, but she was intrigued by his game, if that was what it was. She was thoughtful for a moment, amused but trying to think of what fish were in the aquarium and which might make her think of him. After a moment, she gave a little start and pointed at him.

"Oh, I've got it!" She tightened her grip on his hand and started pulling, nerves turning to a bit of energy with a goal in sight, and guided him quickly away. It was easy to get lost in the aquarium, and she had to stop here and there to look carefully at signs and remember where she was going. Perhaps it didn't always feel like she was one for games to others, but she felt safe with Garrett, in the aquarium, knowing Anthony and Luca were only a short jog away. It was fun and harmless, and she couldn't help feeling a little excited.

Finally, with a step away and a little flourish of both hands to indicate the tank, she gave Garrett a smile. "Behold - the hammerhead shark! Smart, quick, dangerous." She looked at it, then back to him with a bit of mischief in her eyes. "But they look a little bit silly sometimes."
 
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Anthony was more than happy to join Luca quietly on the bench to stare at the jellyfish. It was a peaceful room, with quiet colors that spilled over the carpet and made it even more relaxing, and the bubbling sound of the water was just soft enough to not be too distracting. The jellyfish were fun to look at, too.

"They're like a carnival," Anthony murmured thoughtfully. "They're all having a good time together, and dancing around with lots of pretty colors. I like 'em!"


Garrett beamed and ran after Evelyn, following her excited energy and relaxing further the more they ran around the aquarium. He couldn't wait to see what sort of creature she might choose for him - and more interestingly, why. Then they arrived at the hammerhead shark.

His face lit up with a warm smile, and his heart fluttered in his chest. Smart, quick, dangerous - and a little silly, sometimes. She definitely knew him well. "A hammerhead shark! I love it," he announced. "I think maybe they're my new favorite aquarium animal now." He spent a few moments watching the way they glided around the tank. Finally he nodded and squeezed Evelyn's hand, and tried to lead her off through the halls. "Okay, your turn. We've already passed your fish, actually."

Eventually he led the way into the domestic freshwater fish area, and brought Evelyn to one of the tanks with a dramatic bow and a gesture of his hand. "I think you'd make a fantastic glofish tetra! A purple one, obviously. You're absolutely stunning to look at, and while you're very peaceful and calm, you take excellent care of those around you and stick with them through thick and thin. You're not afraid to fight to defend yourself or those you care about. And you're damn good at it, too," he added softly.
 
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Luca was calm in the quiet, relaxed enough with Anthony at his side that he didn't startle at his friend's voice. Anthony's voice was sometimes loud but never angry, and it had never meant anything bad for him. It was easy to just relax, even though the lighting did make him start to feel tense if he thought about it for too long.

"Mmhm, circus lights," he murmured softly, nodding along though his eyes still followed the jellyfish with the dancing lights. For a moment he was quiet again, until he rubbed a hand lightly over his chest, a faint frown on his face as he tried to think of the words. "They feel . . . quiet." He said finally, voice shrinking at the end like it wasn't quite right. When his Shadow had too much time to build beneath his skin the thrum of energy made him feel overwhelmed, 'loud' like he couldn't sense anything beyond it, but the way the jellyfish moved in the water and the lights that danced along some of their edges was like the opposite. Sitting there made his whole body feel quiet, like he didn't need to think so hard or focus on anything that made him feel tense. It was nice, calm. A silly part of him wished he could just go float with them for a little while.


Evelyn couldn't help a proud smile at the way Garrett approved, only laughing a bit giddily when he took her hand to pull her along again and take her to her own fish likeness. It was such a silly game, but so fun. Part of her was already trying to think of which sea creatures might suit Luca or Anthony as they backtracked for Garrett's answer, and she almost missed the tank he was pointing at while she was deep in thought.

"Ooh, did I see these the last time we were here?" She asked absentmindedly, looking at them with a soft, impressed hum. "They're very pretty. . ." She smiled at the way he bowed, almost tempted to tease him for it, but went quiet as he explained. By the time he had finished, the light pink high on her cheekbones had developed into a darker flush, and she shifted her weight a bit from foot to foot with her free hand curling around his arm just to keep herself from snatching the other away in self-conscious reflex. Had it been so long since someone had complimented her that she couldn't take it anymore? Or was it just that she was already nervous, and that Garrett's opinion meant so much more to her than she could put into words? She hadn't realized it was true, until just then.

"You - You are too much," she said with a shake of her head, a bit of a plaintiff whine in her voice when she turned and leaned her head lightly against his shoulder to try and hide her face without simply putting her hands between them. "Flatterer." She said it liked an accusation, though with affection still. She was nervous about 'dating' still, and it was becoming all too clear that there were still situations she could find that she didn't know how to handle herself in. It had been a long time since she had cared enough to feel embarrassed.
 
At Luca's soft voice, Anthony glanced over and smiled gently, nodding. "I think I know what you mean. It's relaxing, right? Like sitting here sort of calms your nerves, and helps you breathe easier, and makes you feel better. At least it does for me." His eyes glittered, and he glanced over at Luca. "You know, they make night lights that have pretend jellyfish in them. Sorta like the aquarium, but smaller. Want to look at some on my phone and see what you think?" he offered.


"I'm not sure, but I'm glad you can see them now," Garrett said warmly. Then his eyes lit up when Evelyn playfully chastised him and hid her head against his shoulder. He giggled and reached up to gently pat her shoulder. "I'm only telling you the truth. And I think I'll do it more often." For one thing, he loved the color of the blush in her cheeks - though he felt it might be overstepping to say so. But for another, he got the feeling that Evelyn rarely got complimented as often as she deserved, and he had the honor of being able to fill that role.

He hardly dared to take a breath, lest Evelyn pull away too soon. But eventually he let out a soft sigh and smiled. "I think I like this dating thing. It's very nice spending time with you one on one."
 
Relaxing. It was a good word. Anthony was good at that, giving him the words he couldn't find when everything in his brain felt either too jumbled or like it was all just a puddle on the floor. Luca nodded slowly in response, losing tension gradually as he listened to Anthony talk without getting angry with him for saying strange things, and took a long moment to drag his eyes away from the jellyfish to look his friend's way.

". . . A light?" He repeated softly, and after a moment scooted a bit closer on the bench to better see whatever Anthony was going to look up. He already had a light, but he wanted to see it still. Was he allowed to have two?


Evelyn made a soft, plaintiff sound as his teasing, pulling back the hand on his arm just enough to give his bicep a chastising slap. "Don't tease," she complained, but couldn't rightfully tell him he shouldn't compliment her. It would be mean spirited of her to stop him from saying whatever it was he wanted to say to her, even if the embarrassment made her want to crawl into a deep hole and never come out. Perhaps it said something about what company she had once kept and how long ago that something so simple could make her feel so much like shriveling up inside, like being told nice things was something to shrink at. She was halfway sure he was only teasing about telling her more, at least.

The soft relief in his voice had the coiled bashfulness in her stomach relaxing a bit, replaced with something warm, glad that he was happy, gratified at thinking she was the reason why. "I told you there was nothing to be scared of," she murmured softly, leaning on him still, though she couldn't in the moment recall if she had ever said those specific words, only that a date could be whatever they wanted it to be. "I think the boys are doing just fine, so . . . we could do it again some time."

This date wasn't over yet, of course, but no one had panicked and shouted or tried to call either of them, and everything was peaceful enough that she was tempted to think everything would be all right. With Garrett at her side, saying such sweet things to her, it was easier to believe.
 
Anthony smiled and nodded. "Yeah. A night light," he repeated. He couldn't help but see himself in Luca, sometimes - afraid to ask for things. Having a jumbled mind and no one to help him work through it. But Anthony had the family now, and Luca had all of them, and he was determined to help Luca feel as safe and secure and loved as he always dreamed of being.

He pulled out his phone and looked up jellyfish nightlights, passing the phone to Luca so he could scroll at his leisure. "Yeah, like these. What do you think of them?"


Garrett chuckled and shook his head. "I can't promise I won't," he said at last. Then he smiled and blushed when Evelyn reminded him there was no reason to be scared, and he smiled more when she all but offered a second date. "I would enjoy a second date very much."

He glanced back and forth, then leaned in and lowered his voice. "If you'd like, I think I have just the place in mind for us. But it'll be a surprise. Maybe we could set Anthony and Luca up at home with a movie and a puzzle for a few hours while we're out, hm?"
 
Luca made a soft, interested sound, just leaning their shoulders together and watching Anthony look up what he would. He took the phone when offered but stayed close, slowly scrolling through listings for different lights online. Some looked a bit silly, but some were very pretty. The jellyfish shapes bobbed in the water in ways that weren't really right but were very close and nice to look at, just how the stars in his current light were in accurate but still good.

"They're pretty," he said quietly after a minute or two had passed, giving Anthony a small smile and offering him back his phone. It wasn't the same as seeing the real ones, but some of them looked very soothing still. 'Relaxing', like Anthony had said. It would be nice to have a second thing to look at when he couldn't sleep.


It was mildly shocking that she could actually picture it. Going on another date with Garrett, and perhaps another, and another. She had spent so long telling herself she would never date again, or wouldn't for a very long time, that finding she suddenly felt comfortable around someone was a surprise even to her. Someone she trusted, who made her feel safe. Until recently, she hadn't thought she was capable of that anymore.

When his voice went softer she had to fight the urge to bite her lip, feeling torn but still somehow aware of the urge not to ruin her lipstick. "By themselves. . ." She murmured softly, torn as she tried to reconcile the idea that Luca would be fine if she left him for so long. He was getting better at not panicking, she thought, but was she? Maybe it would even end up more of a test for her than for him. "I want to go, but . . . maybe we can try a shorter trip first, just once? Just to see?"

She couldn't help the worrying. If they did something like go to a store alone, or even just go for a walk somewhere, and were out for more like 30 or 40 minutes to be sure he would be able to stay calm for Anthony, it would make her feel better.
 
While Luca looked over the various night lights, Anthony went between glancing over his shoulder and looking at the real jellyfish, until eventually Luca handed his phone back. "Yeah, they are. You should show me your favorites when we get home! Maybe we can find one of them in a store for you."

He put his phone back into his pocket, and then sighed happily and gazed back at the jellyfish. "Maybe I'll get one for me, too. This is really nice."


"Yes, by themselves," Garrett started. Then he saw the expression that crossed Evelyn's face and paused. She'd been Luca's care taker for so long already. Maybe it would be harder for her to adjust to leaving him alone than it would be for Luca. He nodded and set a hand on her shoulder. "A short trip sounds like a very good idea. Oh! I know. Suppose tomorrow, we all have breakfast together. Then you and I can stroll down to the corner store and pick up some lunch. That won't take long, and Luca and Anthony will know exactly where we are."
 
"Do stores have them?" Luca asked absentminedly, eyes on the jellyfish again already. "Evelyn buys things online."

Groceries, clothes, lots of things. If there was nothing in a store, maybe she would buy him one. They could find a good one, maybe, if there were videos. He didn't know exactly how it worked, since he didn't have money of his own, but he knew they could pay for something and have it show up at the door.


Garrett was humoring her. Evelyn was sure of it even without looking at him, but part of her was too embarrassed about her own apparent separation anxiety to let him see her face. It was probably pathetic to worry about someone who was essentially an adult, but Luca was a special case. He needed looking after.

". . . I would like that," she said after a moment, mulling over the idea of a test run, and finally gave a soft sigh. "I should have more faith in them, shouldn't I?" Luca had been relatively stable, even if they had incidents here and there, and Anthony was good at helping deal with the anxiety attacks when they came. She should trust them over. She just couldn't help worrying still.
 
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"I have no idea," Anthony admitted with a chuckle. "But sometimes it's fun to go to stores and look around. And if the stores don't have them, odds are the internet will!" He stretched and arched his back, glancing at the jellyfish before looking further down the hall. "Hey, want to go check out that underwater tunnel again? That was pretty cool last time."

He wouldn't mind spending the rest of the night at the jellyfish exhibit, but he worried he might actually fall asleep if they did, and he wanted to spend as much time with Luca as he could.


The detective smiled softly. "They are quite capable," he agreed. "But I think easing into giving them more time and space would be best for everyone. There's no reason to go cold turkey and leave them on their own for hours, especially when they haven't requested alone time and seem pretty content spending time with us."

He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. "Besides, I have to admit I've become very fond of spending time with a group. After years of being mostly on my own, I think I've gotten a bit spoiled." He smiled and met Evelyn's eyes again. "But I suppose it'll be good for me to remember how to spend time with people one on one as well." He offered his hand to Evelyn and nodded. "Oh! That reminds me. Have you been to the section where they have the cleaner fish?"
 
Luca only gave a soft, thoughtful hum in response, pleased by Anthony's upbeat attitude but distracted still. When his friend stood up, though, he blinked a few times and drew his eyes away from the jellyfish. It was true that he could have sat there for endless hours, but as much as he loved them there were more things to see, and he didn't want to keep Anthony from seeing them even if he would have been content sitting at just one tank.

"Okay," he said softly, stretching his legs carefully out in front of him before getting to his feet, wary of dizzy spells that had started becoming less and less frequent as he slept, drank and ate more regularly. ". . . You liked it a lot?" He followed when Anthony was ready to go, trusting him to know the way when Luca himself still got lost often. He remembered Anthony having fun, or at least he'd thought his friend was enjoying himself. Sometimes he doubted his own memory about such things.


Evelyn heaved a little sigh, shoulders slumping slightly and leaning her weight lightly against him. She was aware that he was right and that her own fears were part of the problem, but it didn't make her hate it any less. There was still a part of her fearful of the thought that if she looked away for long enough Luca would end up right back where he'd started, underweight and alone and in pain. He was on his way to healing, but if she didn't want to hold him back she was going to have to do some growing of her own. It was a strangely difficult thing to admit.

"It's been . . . nice, having other voices around," she said softly, thinking back on her own determination from years past to never rely on anyone again. It was a sad decision, now that she could look back on it with any clarity. Life was empty without other people in it. She couldn't let a fear of being hurt keep her from ever being truly happy, rather than merely content with the solitary life she'd carved out for herself.

"I'm not sure what you mean by cleaner fish," she said as she took his hand, taking a careful breath to recenter herself and trying to leave worries behind as they started to walk, "but I'm sure you're going to show me. While we walk, tell me something interesting," she added with a gently teasing tone to her voice, doing her best to move away from potentially sad things. "Where did you come upon that hat of yours I can't seem to get rid of?"
 
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