Chapter Text
Ty couldn’t understand Kit.
Well, that was a lie- he could understand certain parts of Kit. He understood his flight response, and he understood his objections at being called Watson (as necessary as a Watson was, Sherlock was obviously the better choice to be). He kind of had an idea about why Kit sometimes zoned out or went to the edges of the room when the Blackthorns would get together and talk.
What Ty didn’t understand was why Kit sometimes tried to connect to him. Not physically, with hand-touches or sitting close to him like he’d only allow certain people to do when he was comfortable with it, but emotionally; the way Kit would ask Ty what he thought of something he knew would interest him, how he avoided asking about Ty’s quirks and the things he did to make himself more comfortable and just accepted them.
It wasn’t bad-- in fact, it was startling, if anything. A good kind of startling, one that kept Ty on his toes because he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to respond in turn. It frustrated him, made him want to close his door and only let Livvy in, take some kind of break from Kit so he could have time to figure out how he should react in any situation he could be in.
“That’s silly,” Livvy said once Ty expressed his urge to her. “Like, I love you Ty, but you know Kit as well as I do now, and you know he can be unpredictable. Even when he’s trying to get close to you,” she added, smiling at the flush that colored Ty’s cheeks. “It’s hard, but he wouldn’t like it if you drew back, either. He wouldn’t tell you so, but it’d hurt him.”
So, Ty hadn’t shut himself in his room with his Sherlock Holmes collection. Well, he did, but it was only for a few hours, before Kit had come knocking at his door and asking if Ty wanted some food, and that Livvy had sent him because she claimed he wouldn’t come out if it was anyone else. It frustrated Ty, but any refusal to stay in his room died when he opened his door, the first thing he saw being Kit’s concerned expression.
“...I guess I can take a break,” was his response, looking down but not missing the way Kit’s eyes lit up, a satisfied smile on his face.
It was small things that Kit did that eventually allowed Ty to really relax around him. From when the three of them-- Livvy tagging along because Ty never quite felt complete without her, and why wouldn’t he include the most important person to him when it came to being with another important person?-- would sneak around the institute, doing their best to overhear any spare information they could find out about what was going on, to when Livvy would promise to leave Ty and Kit to themselves for a little while and disappear to go tell Dru something.
It’s one of those such times now, Livvy having darted off without listening to either of them, and now Ty sat with Kit on the top of the Institute, looking out at the stars. Normally Ty would avoid being up here, finding it too much trouble to climb up and then have to climb down not too long later, when the wind got too much or the air was too cold. He’d been overstimulated lately, though, being in the halls of the Institute had been too much, and for once, he appreciated the cooler air against his face, able to focus and be sure he wouldn’t fall. His eyes closed, Ty could almost feel as if he were up there alone.
In fact, the thought of it was what reminded Ty he wasn’t alone. He blinked his eyes open, and turned to look at his companion. While his own eyes were closed, Kit had followed suit; he rested against the roof easily, body relaxed despite being so high, and his eyes were closed. If it weren’t for the fact that they’d been talking minutes before, Ty could almost imagine he’d fallen asleep, or he was some statue Julian had left up here for who knows what reason. Kit was easy to look at, especially when his features were relaxed. He wasn’t as guarded as he was when they were inside, or around others. Actually, if Ty thought back about it, Kit hadn’t seemed as tense or uneasy around him and Livvy, once they got to hanging out more often.
“I wonder why…” he murmured to himself before realizing he had spoken aloud, eyes widening and cheeks flushing. Kit’s eyes lid open, a smile on his lips as he raised an eyebrow.
“Wonder what, Ty?” he asked.
“Um- I just- you...looked really peaceful, like that. Resting,” Ty said, already feeling the awkwardness settle down. Yeah, this seemed right- this was what he got for not trying to think ahead. However, instead of laughing or making a joke at him, Kit looked surprised.
“...Thank you, Ty. That’s, uh...I appreciate it,” Kit smiled, seeming genuine as far as Ty could tell. Well, he didn’t trust himself that much, but it helped Ty relax. He nodded back in response, reaching for his headphones and rubbing his fingers over the familiar surface. He didn’t put them on, only held them tight and stared at the space of rooftop beside Kit.
“I was...actually wondering why you seemed different. Not just different, but you seem different around me and Livvy. Why’s that?” Ty continued, still focused on that spot. He heard the other moving, and the tip of Kit’s shoe entered his line of sight.
“I like being around you two,” Kit said, a very general answer. Ty glanced at him with a frown. “...I mean-- I feel comfortable around you two. More than the others. I feel like…” He paused while he tried to find the right wording. Ty understood that, and stayed quiet until Kit spoke again. “I feel like I belong, like, in this world. With you….with you two.” He hesitated when he spoke, and the effect wasn’t lost to Ty. His gaze drifted to Kit, who he saw was blushing in a very un-Kit-like fashion.
Ty didn’t know how to respond to that. It sounded like a lot, like more than he could take in for the moment. It sounded like Kit was trying to tell him something he wasn’t ready to hear.
“I’m glad,” Ty said immediately, and he was; relieved Kit enjoyed the time spent with them, that Kit seemed to genuinely feel comfortable with Ty and Livvy. “...The wind’s picking up. We should head back in.” He shifted the topic quickly, and Ty’s gaze darted to the land surrounding the institute so he wouldn’t have to face Kit’s reaction. Chest thumping in a way that wasn’t what he was used to, Ty quickly lead the way back through the window they’d climbed out from, saying a quick excuse that he had to go find Livvy to tell her something once they were inside. He walked down the hallway quickly, hands fumbling over the familiar textures of his headphones, and his pace didn’t start until he was in his room, tucked in a corner and staring helplessly at his bed.
Sometimes, Ty wished he couldn’t understand Kit.