Forging New Paths

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Luca's hands were starting to slow where he still idly petted at Watson's fur, mind drifting further away out of instinct and habit. Whenever he did bad, it was best to just go away, to try and run from the yelling or scolding that followed without moving his physical body, knowing his Shadow would keep him safe from actual harm until it was all over. Garrett's voice was gentle and inviting, and it was the only thing that started to bring Luca back, his eyes raising slowly and hesitantly to see the way the man smiled. No yelling. Not in trouble. But questions were still too hard. Just as he wasn't very good at trying to solve puzzles that asked what was missing, he couldn't think of any specific things in that moment that he didn't know. The list was too long, and he could only give his head a shy little shake.

"That's all right, Luca," Evelyn said gently, coming around to his chair to put her hand on his shoulder, a reassuring and comforting touch. "If you think of anything later, we can always write it down and ask next time, okay?"

She had been trying to carefully encourage him to write down anything he wanted to - what he was feeling or thinking, questions he had or things that he wanted. It was easier to remember that way, she had told him, and though she wouldn't break his trust by reading any of it without his permission she thought that it would be a helpful tool when she finally got him to speak to a therapist. She was glad, at least, that Garrett was doing very well in being patient and reassuring even when there was no tangible reason for Luca to suddenly feel unable to speak.

It was short and faint, the little brushes of Insight that came her way then, and she suspected it was because it was only telling her things her normal intuition was telling her. "Is it too loud?" She asked softly, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze to keep his attention. "Would it be okay if Garrett made it more quiet?"

He was quiet still, his eyes downcast again, but after a moment he did give a hesitant nod, uncertain and unused to asking for things for himself. Evelyn looked at Garrett over Luca's head, and silently mimed putting her other hand atop the younger man's hair, her expression questioning. If Garrett was all right with it, perhaps making Luca's Shadow go away for a few minutes it would allow them both to sleep.
 
Garrett sat quietly in his chair, watching Luca with concern and hoping all his questioning hadn't pushed him too far. But then Luca slowly raised his eyes to meet his. Garrett gave him a subtle, encouraging nod as he kept the smile on his face. He wasn't quite sure what had caused Luca's sudden hesitation. But he figured the best way to help was by being patient.

Watson sensed something was wrong and meowed, reaching up to gently lick Luca's cheek.

The detective blinked. He hadn't seen the cat do that before. Then Evelyn silently asked him to help quiet Luca's shadow, and he suddenly understood. Watson could sense when the shadow was growing too loud.

Garrett nodded and slowly came over, offering Luca his hand. "Luca, would you like to go on the couch or a bed? If you fall asleep, I don't want you falling off a chair and getting hurt," he suggested gently.

Watson clambered up onto Luca's shoulder, licking the boy's hair now and meowing softly to try and pull him back out of the shadow's influence.
 
Luca's power was always building gradually, storing up inside until it was too much to focus through. He was used to it, and the way it had been making his joints ache all day, but he wasn't usually asked to give attention to so many things and it was only getting harder as the evening went on. Before, he would just lay still in his room and be quiet until he could manage to think again, and if anyone had needed him during times like that it was usually time to release the pent up energy in destructive ways anyway. Reset. Repeat.

Watson was much harder to ignore than other things, warm and soft - and then uncomfortably rough when his tongue scratched over Luca's cheek, meowing all along. He crinkled his nose at the feeling but didn't push the cat away, hands resting gently against Watson's sides just to be aware of where he was. It was easier to hear the words happening around him when Watson kept pulling his attention outward, and after a pause to be sure he wasn't going to dump his friend onto the ground he gave a little nod and finally reached for Garrett's hand.

The quiet came so abruptly it was disorienting. Luca blinked slowly a few times, flexed the fingers of his free hand in and out as if to feel the difference in his bones, and after a pause to be sure he knew where all of his limbs were got out of his chair and let Garrett lead him to the couch. It was a strange feeling, having all of the sights and sounds and feelings around him filtering back into his attention so quickly, but not unwelcome. He was content enough to be sat down on the couch with Garrett's hand in his, the other petting idle at Watson again to try and soothe him. It hadn't occurred to him yet that the cat might be upset because he wasn't feeling well.

Evelyn hovered nearby to be sure he was steady on his feet, then quietly tucked their chairs in and trailed along after them. "Do you want to watch some of The Great Mouse Detective with us?" She asked softly, not wanting to make Garrett stay longer than he wanted to but not wanting to leave him sitting in silence either. "You can stay if you promise not to quote the whole script at us."
 
Watson seemed to settle at once when Garrett touched Luca's hand and made the noise of the shadow go away. The black cat gave a few soft blinks and curled up against Luca's neck, purring.

And Garrett was relieved when Luca reached out for his hand of his own accord and seemed to relax at once. He sighed quietly in relief and walked with Luca to the couch before sitting down with him. "There we are," he said gently. "Suppose I read you a story?"

Then Evelyn suggested an even better idea. Garrett smiled at her and nodded. "That sounds like a superb idea! I'll try to refrain from quoting the entire film," he said with a chuckle. He glanced at Luca again. "And Luca, if you need some space or you're done with the quiet, you can let go of my hand at any time. And if you change your mind again, you can come over and take my hand at any time. I'm here to help you."

Watson hopped delicately into Luca's lap and made himself at home there, purring.

". . . By the way . . . this is only a theory, but - I rather think Watson can sense when your shadow noises are getting a bit out of control," Garrett added.
 
Luca was beginning to relax, but also was more alert to what was happening around him, eyes drifting back and forth between Garrett and Evelyn as they talked. I'm here to help you. Those words resonated in his head, over and over, until finally it felt as if they had begun to sink in. Garrett had taken him away from what was bad, and he showed Luca new and interesting things, and didn't shout when he thought he'd done bad. It had been a very, very long time since he'd heard words like those.

Luca's fingers curled ever so slightly tighter around Garrett's before relaxing again, almost as if he didn't know he was doing it, but he didn't let go. Instead, he only looked down at where Watson curled up in his lap with a little frown. "Sorry. . ." He murmured quietly, giving the cat gentle pets as if to apologize for causing him trouble.

Evelyn gave him a little smile even as she retrieved the remote and settled in on his other side. "I don't think he minds very much, Luca. He just wants you to be okay. We all do." She gave his knee a gentle squeeze, careful not to disturb Watson, and glanced at Garrett as she navigated through menus to rent the movie for them. "From what I can tell, it's not 'loud' like a noise, right, Luca? It's more loud like something that's too colorful or busy to look at - it's too much to sense at once, too much to process. So I think you may be right about Watson. Maybe that energy is something he can sense that we can't." Animals were truly amazing like that sometimes.

As she queued up the movie, she sent a message to Garrett's phone for him to read more privately. Let me know if you get uncomfortable. He won't let go before you do. She knew that from experience already. If Luca didn't drift off to sleep, he would be content to hold Garrett's hand until the older man let go. She wouldn't blame him if he would prefer to simply lean their shoulders together or something similar instead.
 
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Watson responded by turning into a loaf and purring louder, as though trying to prove how comfortable he was and how happy he was that Luca was safe again. He closed his eyes and took his tiny front paws out of the loaf to knead Luca's legs.

Garrett, meanwhile, relaxed more himself as he felt Luca's grip relaxing. Hopefully he was starting to feel better already. It seemed that way as far as he could tell. Between Watson's behavior and Luca curled up next to him on the couch, Detective Shiver decided that having the shadow sense turned off for a bit was helping. He blinked and glanced over when he felt his phone buzz.

At first he thought maybe it was one of his informants, but it was Evelyn. He read over the words and smiled gently before texting back. Thank you. I'll let you know. But for now, I certainly don't mind holding his hand. I'm glad he's relaxing again.

It was as though Garrett acted as a switch to turn Luca's power on and off. It was too bad, Garret thought, that he didn't have control over his own switch. Then his eyes widened.

But what if he could have control of it?

He picked his phone up again and texted Evelyn. Evelyn, I've just had an idea. Suppose I found a way to channel some my power into a rock, or jewelry, or other object? Luca could turn off his power, on his own, whenever he wanted.
 
Luca sunk a bit further into the couch as Watson settled in, free hand resting on the cat's back and a faint smile at the way his paws stretched in and out. It was strange, being able to feel Watson's claws through his pant leg, but he wasn't getting scratched and he knew Watson wasn't trying to hurt him. It was okay to relax, wasn't it? Evelyn and Garrett were here to keep him safe, and there was no one around that wanted to hurt him. Without his body constantly thrumming with tightly contained energy, it was a lot easier to focus on the movie as it started to play.

Evelyn read Garrett's first message after starting the movie, and was going to leave it at that when he sent another. She only looked at it for a moment, confused and considering. Is that something you can do? She sent back, fingers barely brushing over the screen as she used her gifts to type rather than doing it all by hand, so as not to tip off Luca that they were texting back and forth. I suppose it would be nice to not bother you when you're busy.

Still, she wasn't entirely sure which way would be better, bothering Garrett himself or having some sort of surrogate object. It gave them a reason to meet together, and gave Luca an excuse to seek out the physical connections she was beginning to understand that he wanted. Then again, she had a feeling she was figuring out that need faster than Luca was.
 
Garrett nodded and carefully typed back, keeping his hand gently around Lucas'. It's not for that reason. I really enjoy spending time with both of you. But considering my job, and how I might occasionally be unavailable, I thought it might be helpful to have something Lucas can use to quiet the shadows on his own if he needs to.

He paused for a moment, and then nodded and typed again. I think eventually, Luca might be able to learn how to dampen his own power without outside assistance. But until then he'll need something to help with that. And there will be times where as much as I want to be, I won't be able ti be there. I'm not sure how it might work, but I want to at least look into the idea.

Watson continued kneading Luca's legs for a few more minutes. Then he yawned widely and curled upside down across him, settling in for a nap as the movie played.

Detective Shiver soon found his attention drawn frequently to the movie as it played, despite the enthralling conversation with Evelyn. He did his best to focus on both at once, but he couldn't help getting pulled in to one of his favorite stories.
 
Evelyn glanced periodically at Garrett and Luca as the older man typed and typed. It was, frankly, becoming a scene she was sure she needed to sneak a picture of - Watson as comfortable as could be, Luca holding on to Garrett's hand even as he gradually sunk into a position she knew would end up with his head on the detective's shoulder eventually, and the both of them focusing more and more on the movie rather than anything else. Like a little family, she thought, and did her best not to let the sentiment get all the way to her heart. It was too soon to let her guard down so far.

If it's something you think is possible, let me know if I can do anything to help. She sent back, and after a little while quietly snuck a picture as she'd planned. She would send it to Garrett later.

As the movie played, Evelyn curled her legs up under her to tuck her feet in against Luca's side, resting against a throw pillow and the arm of the couch, until somewhere in the middle she drifted off curled up there. Sleeping in front of other people was not generally something she did, but everything was quiet and calm, and she'd been sleeping so little lately it had really been inevitable once they'd settled down.

Luca was relaxed but didn't sleep, focused on the movie enough to keep him up, and took a while but did finally notice that she had drifted off. When he had, he shifted up a little straighter, staring at her for a long moment to watch her shoulders rise and fall, then looked around the room with a little frown. A blanket. He should give her a blanket, shouldn't he? She always gave him one, if he settled in somewhere that wasn't his bed. But Watson was in his lap, and even if he could get up he couldn't remember where the blankets were hidden. Was it okay to just let her sleep there?
 
The detective was so onto the movie, in fact, that he didn't even notice when Evelyn fell asleep. He might not have realized until after the movie if Luca hadn't shifted and caused him to glance over. His gaze settled on Evelyn's sleeping form, and he smiled warmly. At last she was resting. "Aw, look at her," he said gently. "Luca, would you mind if I got up to get her a blanket? I'll come right back."

He'd spotted a throw blanket on a nearby chair that would probably work well. Once Luca had left go of his hand, he went over and pulled the blanket off the chair. Then he returned to gently lay it over Evelyn and tuck her in. "There we go."

Garret sat down by Luca again with a long, content sigh, and he smiled and offered his hand again. "Would you like my hand again?" he asked softly.

Watson had started to drift off, too, twitching once or twice and settling down. His slow, steady breathing was intertwined with light purring.
 
Luca shook his head a little, letting Garrett go easily and watching in confusion until he retrieved a blanket and laid it gently over Evelyn's curled up form. It made Luca relax by degrees, a warm feeling in his chest at seeing someone else take care of her. She hardly stirred, as tired as she'd been, and he was happy that she was resting. It had been confusing him how she always stayed awake when he couldn't sleep, after he'd been left to his own devices every night so long as he was quiet and didn't try to leave.

When asked if he wanted to hold Garrett's hand, Luca looked shyly down at Watson in his lap, hesitant for a moment before giving a tiny little nod and reaching out to take it again. It was nice, feeling someone else's hand in his even when his skin started to feel too warm. Even though he felt tired, and having the Shadow gone would have made it easier to sleep, he made a concentrated effort to stay awake instead and finish watching the movie. With Watson warm in his lap, and Garrett holding his hand, and Evelyn's legs tucked up against his, Luca felt safe, and good. He didn't want to miss any of it.
 
Garrett gently wrapped his hand around Luca's and settled back in to watch the movie. It was one of his favorites, and while he'd felt sleepy at first, the excitement of the story had gotten him wide awake again. He didn't even feel tired when the movie ended. But he did let go of Luca's hand to stretch briefly and stand up from the couch. "Hm, well. I don't know about you, but I'm a bit hungry after the movie," he said quietly. "Would you like to join me for a snack? I'm pretty sure there's ice cream here somewhere. Or maybe popcorn. What would you like?"

Watson yawned and arched his back as well. Then he hopped off Luca's lap and trotted towards the kitchen, meowing.

". . . Yes, I suppose it is dinner time for you, isn't it Watson?" the detective asked with a grin. "Luca, would you like to help me feed him?" He pulled a baggie of dry kibble from his coat and set it on the counter. "Could you pour this in a bowl, and then get another bowl and fill it with water?"
 
Luca was content, with all of his friends that made him feel safe, and with his Shadow quieted it was easier to focus on the movie. He had seen a lot of cartoons before but never this one, and the fact that it was Garrett's favorite made it important so he wanted to pay attention.

When Garrett let go of his hand and stood up Luca only watched at first, realizing quickly enough that he was being quiet so Evelyn could continue sleeping. With Watson off his lap, Luca stood slowly to keep from waking her with the motion and followed after, considering the thought of a snack. He didn't get hungry as fast as he usually did when his gift wasn't constantly burning energy, but it would be okay to eat something, wouldn't it? Evelyn wasn't awake to ask, but she kept telling him he could have whatever he wanted.

"There's ice cream," he responded quietly, thinking of how some had been delivered with the groceries Evelyn had someone bring to the house, but was quickly derailed from that thought by the idea of feeding Watson. He walked to the counter where the bag was set automatically, at first thinking Watson would just eat from his hands before Garrett told him to find a bowl, then took a moment to open the cabinet with the plates and bowls and stood staring into it for a long moment.

After a pause, he finally took out two ceramic bowls and looked at them, then at Watson, then back at the bowls in his hands. Eventually, after deciding it was probably okay for the bowls to be used for cats since Garrett had told him to do it, and that Watson was tall enough to eat from them, Luca set them gently on the counter to pour the bag into one.

". . . Just like this?" He asked, curious, and looked after Garret as the other man looked through the kitchen. The food had a strong smell, but it mostly looked like strangely shaped rocks. He'd never had pets before, so the only times he'd seen kibble were on tv, or years and years ago at a friend's house when he was little. He couldn't remember.
 
"Oooh! Ice cream for us, and kibble for Watson. I like the sound of that," Garrett said happily. And while Luca prepared Watson's food, Garrett went off to collect bowls and supplies for their ice cream dessert. Eventually he heard Luca ask a question. He glanced over from setting a carton of ice cream on the table and nodded, smiling. "Perfect! Then you can set his dishes on the table and set Watson next to them. That's where he eats at my house," he explained.

He set out two bowls and started scooping his ice cream. "Do you want a lot of ice cream, or just a little bit?" he asked Luca. He held out his bowl to show him. "Mine is a lot." Hopefully the four different directions and questions weren't too many for Luca at once.

Watson, meanwhile, had already smelled his food. He rubbed against Luca's legs, meowing excitedly and purring. Then he jumped up onto the table and sat patiently.

Garrett chuckled. "Never mind about setting Watson up there. He sat himself. Smart kitty."
 
Luca was careful in filling a bowl with water, glancing every once in a while at the way Watson rubbed against his legs, and only looked over at Garrett when questioned about the ice cream. He thought for a moment, looking at the bowl and considering things Evelyn had told him, that eating too much sugar too fast before he was used to it could hurt his stomach.

". . . a little." He answered finally, hesitant as he always was when he answered questions and wasn't sure if there was a 'right' answer. When Watson jumped onto the table he paused and frowned a little, uncertain. Something made him think that Evelyn wouldn't like Watson being on the table, but if Garrett said it was okay then it was okay, wasn't it?

Careful to not spill the water, Luca took both bowls to the table and set them very gently down, shifting back to watch as Watson started to eat and staring for a moment too long at the bowl of water. It had been longer than usual since he had sat still and wandered the city with his Sight. It was different, now that he was here. He could see places with just his own eyes when Evelyn took him outside to walk, and when he got bored there were other things to do. Sometimes it felt too loud, noise all around him when he was used to only seeing, but she was always there to hold his hand and ask if he wanted to go home, and he could say yes even if they hadn't been out long. Everything was different.

Quietly, Luca sat at the table to watch Watson eat, and let Garrett serve him so he wouldn't make a mess on his own. When there was a bowl in front of him he paused to look at it for a moment, sat up a little straighter as if something had just occurred to him, and looked over at where Garrett was sitting down. "Thank you. . ." He was supposed to say thank you when people gave him things. He'd learned that a long time ago, but Evelyn was helping him remember again.
 
The detective was relieved when Luca not only answered the questions in a fairly timely manner, but also didn't seem too stressed out by them. He was glad the young man seemed a bit more at ease. He nodded to Luca's request for a little ice cream and dished him up a smaller amount, which he set down at the table near a place to sit.

Watson was very clearly used to eating at the table. He purred when Luca brought his bowls over, giving him a few soft winks. Then he settled down on his haunches and set to work eating and drinking, his tail curling lightly around his paws. Even the bowls were similar to what he ate out of at home - though at home, his ceramic bowls were personalized with pictures of his face on them.

And all of a sudden Garrett heard Luca say thank you. Something about the way he said the phrase made the detective pause and glance up. He sounded more confident. More relaxed while speaking.

Garrett beamed and nodded. "You're welcome. And thank you for helping me feed Watson. He and I both appreciate it," he added, digging into his bowl of ice cream. "Would you like to watch the stars after this?"
 
Luca was silently pleased when Garrett seemed happy with him, and felt a warm little swell of happiness in his chest when he was thanked in turn. He'd done good, Garrett was happy with him, Evelyn was resting, and he wasn't alone. His Shadow had gone away and he was still safe. Everything was good.

He had just taken his first small bite of ice cream when Garrett asked him a question, and waited to swallow before trying to answer, a hesitant little hunch to his shoulders as if asking was a burden. Asking for things was still hard, and he didn't know if it would ever feel better. ". . . Together?" He questioned softly, wondering if Garrett was going to look at the sky with him or if he would just get to sit at the window by himself like he did at night when he couldn't sleep. Evelyn was sleeping, so he wasn't sure if he was supposed to go outside or not. She always liked to come with him.
 
Garrett wasn't sure if the hesitation in Luca's voice was because he wanted to ask to watch the stars with him, or if he was trying to ask to watch the stars on his own. The important thing was he was clearly asking for something he had a preference for, and while Garrett wanted to watch the stars with him, he wanted to give Luca every opportunity to make his own decisions.

He stretched out a hand to pet Watson while he ate. "Either way works for me. I'd love to watch the stars with you, but if not, I have some notes and case files with me I can work on. Whichever you'd prefer," he added with a smile. "And of course, you're welcome to bring Watson with you either way. Would you like to use my mini telescope?"

Above anything, he wanted Luca to know that having a choice was a good thing. They could work on making harder choices later - choices where someone might not like the outcome. But choices like watching the stars together or alone - those were far easier.
 
Luca was antsy, fidgeting with his spoon rather than actually eating the ice cream in front of him. How did he say it? It wasn't a yes or no question. How did he voice that complicated feeling, I want you to watch the stars with me? He wasn't used to having anyone around that wanted to just sit and be with him, without wanting anything from him, without watching to be sure he wouldn't leave. Usually he found a good window and sat inside by himself, looking up at whatever he could see. He'd been little, the last time someone had looked up at the night sky with him.

He had almost found his way to the words when Garrett mentioned a telescope, and he immediately sat up straighter, eyes opening a little wider, clear interest in every fiber of his being as if just looking at Garrett again would explain. "Telescope?" What was a mini telescope like? It had been a long, long time since he'd seen the stars with anything but his eyes, but that telescope had been big.

His eyes shifted to Watson, thinking of sitting outside with the cat in his lap and a friend at his side. Safe. "We can . . . We can all go?" He asked, quiet in his hesitant unsure how to say that was what he wanted. "Together?"
 
"Yes, a telescope. It's not as good as a real one, but it works better than eyes alone," Garrett explained happily. He ate his ice cream quietly then, as Luca was clearly thinking hard - maybe putting together how to phrase a request or question. And eventually Luca managed to ask whether the group could all go outside together to watch the stars.

Garrett beamed and nodded at once. "I'd love to go outside and watch the stars with you," he said. "Why don't we finish up our ice cream, I'll text Evelyn's phone so she'll know where we are when she wakes up, and we can head outside?"

He could barely focus on eating his own ice cream when he realized how excited Luca seemed. Still, eventually he cleared his bowl, put his and Watson's dishes in the sink and washed them, and set them aside to dry. Then he texted Evelyn they were right outside.

The detective pulled his coat on and waited patiently near the door, along with Watson. "All right. Let's go into the backyard, and you can pick the spot we sit," he told Luca happily.
 
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