Sunnydale AU: An Illicit Visit (no, not that kind)

[americas_son]

There is some definite disapproval going on in the Chandler compound over Cal's refusing to go along with the implicit decision that the Starks (especially Sherlock) are not the best company for him. It's not the first time he's pushed such a ruling - far from it - but this is something of a special case. Whether it's the shooting or the fact that Sherlock and his identity issues are generally glossed over in proper society with "He just couldn't handle his parents' death, the poor thing, at least his brother is made of sterner stuff" that causes greater concern . . .

Well. Cal has the feeling his knows the answer to that.

His own accidental death could at least be used to the Chandlers' advantage, after all.

The obvious response to all of this is, of course, to invite Sherlock over to visit.

"We'll have to sneak if we don't want to spend twenty minutes listening to Mother, though."

Comments

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"He did say there were no vampires," Cal remembers. "Just time travel."

That one time, anyway.

[if_inconvenient]

"Besides which, look at Blackwood's resurrection. Clearly staged. No one with real power would go to such trouble to fake it."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"That too," says Cal, who of course had been thinking no such thing.

[if_inconvenient]

"Indeed," says Sherlock, who is in no way fooled.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Yeah, yeah.

The end credits spool out on the screen. Cal looks over at Sherlock.

"So was it any good?"

[if_inconvenient]

"Brilliant. I enjoyed all the quotes they dropped—you noticed one yourself."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal glances at the screen, saying,

"Yeah, I'd heard it before."

Then, "You can keep this if you want."

[if_inconvenient]

"Thank you," he says, pleased and a little surprised.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal smiles a bit, looking back at him.

"No problem."

Sherlock does have a little more of an investment in it, after all.

Plus it stopped him from talking about the quote some more.

[if_inconvenient]

Yes, after watching that, perhaps comparisons to Watson are not so ideal.

For that matter, perhaps Sherlock should not be looking so adorably happy.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal kind of gets why, though. The adorably happy part, that is.

Well, the happy part. He doesn't pick up on anything adorable about it. Because that would be gay.

That the movie should make him happy, however, that seems obvious. Cal is fairly pleased with that turn of events. (In a not-gay way.)

[if_inconvenient]

In fact there is nothing gay about Sherlock's happiness, either, adorable though it may be.

He just likes the idea of having a friend.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

And by some remarkable coincidence, so does Cal.

[if_inconvenient]

Quick! Someone say something that is not cute as hell!

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal will be pleased to oblige.

"You know what we need to do," he says after a minute or two, as the Dubliners fade out and the DVD warns them of the consequences of piracy, "we need to find you an Irene Adler. I bet if you had a hot girlfriend as smart as you are, you'd figure out how to relax."

Though ideally not because she had drugged him and tied him to a bed. Unless he's into that.

[if_inconvenient]

He laughs.

"As effective a solution as that would no doubt be, I'm afraid I have no interest in pursuing it."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Only because you've never had a girlfriend."

It's a shot in the dark, but Sherlock isn't the only one who can assemble evidence to reach a logical conclusion.

Evidence like, you know, how it would be pretty hard to find a girl (a decent girl, one actually worth his time, not a golddigger more interested in the Stark money) willing to date a guy who goes by Sherlock Holmes. But that doesn't mean he shouldn't try.

[if_inconvenient]

"Correct, and I don't want to."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Okay, it can be kind of a pain sometimes," says Cal, who has never had a relationship not end with her girlfriend discovering that he's been cheating on her, "but it's worth it."

For guys who don't suck as bad at being a boyfriend as they do at almost everything else, anyway. And there's always a part where it really is fun.

(Someday, Cal will come across the concept of polyamory. He'll feel a lot less defective after that.)

[if_inconvenient]

"Really. No interest. And no interest in having a boyfriend, either, before you ask. Your Mr Beardsley has the oddest—"

(Something clicks. Not entirely, not enough to be properly analyzed, but a picture is coming together.)

"—ideas."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal was not going to ask, but he doesn't say that. He shrugs instead, saying,

"He's just a jerk."

He'd rather not think about what Peter asked, or the context in which he asked it.

"Mother would kill him if she knew he let you in here anyway."

[if_inconvenient]

"I dare say she will not be finding out. Not from me, at any rate."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal laughs a little.

"I'm not gonna tell."

It would be kinda counterproductive.

[if_inconvenient]

"Which leaves Mr Beardsley himself, and I imagine he won't be keen on informing her."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, he'll probably skip over it in the daily report."

Call it a hunch.