Sunnydale AU: let's try that again

[americas_son]

The Milliways vacation was, Cal thinks, exactly what they all needed. He definitely came home to discover that things seemed a lot more manageable than they had before he left for New York, and not just because Obadiah Stane will officially never be his damn problem again.

(Peter, he knows, suspects that something happened while Cal was away, but Cal calmly ignores his less-than-subtle hints for an explanation. What would he even tell Peter?

Although he does kind of love imagining the look on Peter's face if he found out exactly how far Cal was out of his reach, and for how long.)

There's more time for life beyond the household now, and so it is that Cal is resuming something resembling regular visits to the Stark residence once more.

Comments

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

Cal turns to look back out the window at Connolly.

"Yeah, that sounds more like you."

[if_inconvenient]

"The extent of his success in that other area is not a subject that particularly concerns me."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"You sure about that?" Cal asks. "I mean, you're the one talking about his girlfriend's pussy."

As if he was ever not going to go there.

[if_inconvenient]

"If I had wanted to allude to any such thing, I would have managed it a little more elegantly than that, I assure you."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Says you," is the prompt response.

[if_inconvenient]

He chuckles.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Which means Cal wins.

Somehow.

[toblameforit]

"Oh good. I thought you guys were gonna argue that all the way to Modesto."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Nope," Cal says. "I win."

[toblameforit]

"Sherry likes to say that the guy who wins usually isn't the guy who says so. But then, Sherry's got me to say he wins for him."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Not so fast, Tony. Cal is shaking his head.

"The guy who wins is the guy who says he wins the loudest," Cal explains. "That way it doesn't matter if he won or not, because everyone thinks he did. So then basically he did."

[if_inconvenient]

"Quite," he deadpans. "In which case, congratulations on your victory."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal is undeterred. If you start with one story, it's best to stick with it no matter what.

"Thanks."

[toblameforit]

"You are so full of it," Tony says cheerfully.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but I won."

Story. Sticking to it.

(Laughing, but sticking to it.)

[if_inconvenient]

"You certainly won the trophy of most brazen liar in the car."

He pauses delicately.

[toblameforit]

And Tony, as predicted, bursts out laughing.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal keeps laughing, saying,

"Yeah, for the next five minutes, maybe."

[toblameforit]

"Try never. Ever. At all."

[toblameforit]

"—Holy shit, you nearly fooled me with that one."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

- there is an extra second or two of silence as Cal, who is after all sitting with both Sherlock and Tony to his left, untangles what just happened.

"Okay, that was fucking weird," he says finally. He's seen Sherlock's Tony impression before, of course, but not with Tony actually in the room.

(Or the car.)

It's disorienting.

"You win."

[if_inconvenient]

"You see? And not once did I need to say it."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Except that you just did," Cal points out.

Sort of. Technically.

[if_inconvenient]

"Only by implication."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I hate to break it to you," Cal tells him, "but gloating counts. That was kinda my point before."

Honestly.