Sunnydale AU: don't go into the - never mind.

[americas_son]

Some students, when they hear the final bell ring, head to class right away.

Sometimes Cal is one of them, but not today. He was outside having a cigarette when the bell sounded, and he was too deep in thought to pay it much attention.

So he's slipping inside now, a few minutes late. The halls are already quiet, and he's keeping an eye out for any faculty members authorized to give detention as he makes his way toward his English class.

Comments

[toblameforit]

"No problem," he answers. "And—" very softly, "thanks for holding me back."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal shrugs with one shoulder, a little awkward.

"I would've tried to run too," he says. "If it were me."

He's pretty sure, anyway.

[toblameforit]

"Yeah." He quirks a wry smile. "Sherry's gonna kick my ass when he hears about it. Or no, he'll just give me that look like he always does when I don't think something through."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Well." Cal swallows a sip of whiskey. "I won't tell if you don't."

Then he snorts into his glass, because that strategy is sure to work. On Sherlock Holmes.

[toblameforit]

"Oh yeah. Wanna bet on how long it'll take him to figure it out? If it's any more than a couple hours I'll get you another car."

Not because Cal particularly needs another car, but because that is not going to happen.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I am going to tell him that you thought it would take that long."

Cal grimaces slightly as something occurs to him.

"I'll probably have to tell him, anyway, I probably grabbed you hard enough to bruise." Which is more likely to serve is a final confirmation than anything else, but this is not a moment for being realistic.

[toblameforit]

Unaccountably, this makes Tony laugh.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Laughing is good. Cal's not gonna complain. He smiles a little against the rim of his glass.

[toblameforit]

"I'm pretty sure he'll know the minute he knows I was there," he explains, still chuckling.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal exhales a laugh.

"It is kind of a no-brainer," he agrees.

What else could they expect Tony to have done, really?

[toblameforit]

"I'm the impulsive one in the family."

Or, to look at it another way, Sherry is quick enough to figure out it's hopeless and cold-blooded enough not to try anyway.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Most people would've tried," Cal says.

For someone they cared about, anyway. Tony is probably lucky Cal had the luxury of not caring at all.

[toblameforit]

Cynically: "Not for Obie they wouldn't."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal definitely does not say I can't imagine why not. He tries not to even think it, to keep it from showing on his face.

"- sure they would," he says, a beat too late.

He's pretty sure he's right, though. Some people are just like that.

[toblameforit]

"You wouldn't," Tony points out. "I mean, I'm not blaming you or anything. You barely know the guy and you don't—didn't—like him much. But that's just it. Since Dad died I'm the only one left who gives a shit."

He snorts, finally climbing out of bed to pour himself another glass. "His funeral's gonna be a joke," he mutters as he crosses to the cabinet by the foot of the bed. "It'll be me and a bunch of wrinkled corporate assholes who'd rather be flirting with their secretaries."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

He'd like to claim that he would have if he could have, for Tony's sake, but -

He has to admit to himself that that's not true. He'd make a token effort, maybe, but nothing potentially self-sacrificing. Not for Obadiah Stane.

He takes a swallow of whiskey.

"I'll go," he says.

That he can do. For Tony's sake.

[toblameforit]

"Good. You can tell me who's lying about how much they liked him so I know who to throw up on when I get drunk off my face."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal has to smile wryly at that. Reed Chandler was considerably more popular than Stane seems to have been, but that doesn't mean his funeral wasn't full to the brim with fake tears and bullshit.

"Deal," he says.

[toblameforit]

"Thanks."

He fills his glass and returns to his side of the bed.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Least I can do."

All other shit aside: Tony and Sherlock came to Cal's father's funeral. Cal may never find the words to describe how much it meant, how much it helped, to know they were there.

[toblameforit]

Something about the way he glances over at Cal suggests he knows.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal holds his gaze for a second, then looks down at his glass.

"So I'm guessing you're the one who gets to do the planning," he says.

[toblameforit]

"Yep. At least I've done this whole circus before."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal thinks about this for a second. This particular funeral is going to have some fairly unique complications. Though it won't get as difficult as his father's funeral had if -

"You might wanna go with cremation," he says. "Lot easier to fake a body that way."

His father's had been open casket, complete with glamored mystery corpse. They'd worried the whole thing that something would go wrong, but what else could they do for a Chandler's funeral?

[toblameforit]

He laughs. "God, that's depressing."