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

[if_inconvenient]

"Which leaves me free to spend the rest of this one as I see fit."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"So you're bribing the administration, too?"

What? It's the logical conclusion.

[if_inconvenient]

"I see no reason to bother. If I cared about my academic career, I'd bloody well go to class."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"In that case, you do actually have to show up once in a while every year so they'll let you move on to the next."

Or so Cal has heard.

[if_inconvenient]

"I give it at least until the end of the week before I need to put in an appearance. Before then, I am of course tending to Tony."

Which is literally true, as it happens.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, they'll probably cut you some slack for that," Cal concedes.

"How's he doing, anyway?"

[if_inconvenient]

"As well as can be expected, I suppose."

In some ways better than last time; in some ways worse.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal nods.

"Maybe we should try another pizza trip," he suggests. "If he has the time to spare for it."

The idea occurred to him a couple of days ago. Of the three of them, it was Tony who was most frustrated about being foiled, and Cal seriously doubts he'll make the connection between Stane's death and a sudden lack of concern regarding another assassination attempt.

[if_inconvenient]

"Brilliant."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal grins.

"Yeah, I thought so," he says cheerfully.

[if_inconvenient]

"He'll be delighted."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Good," Cal says.

"Peter says he'd like fewer attempts at evasion, if at all possible."

Cal is telling this to Sherlock because he knows Sherlock is the one more likely to listen. Even if there's very little he can actually do about it.

[if_inconvenient]

Dryly: "He will be less delighted about that."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I figured," Cal says. "But I'm afraid the security escort is non-negotiable."

Cal is, for the time being, the most important member of the family. Peter has responded accordingly in terms of security, and after the way he helped Cal secure control within the household, Cal is in no position to argue even if he were inclined to.

(Though he was at least able to convince Peter to keep it discreet for Stane's funeral.)

[if_inconvenient]

"Well. Tony will kindly refrain from outrunning them and I will kindly refrain from ensuring they never find us in the first place."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal laughs a little.

"Thanks."

[if_inconvenient]

"Though I would like to reiterate that in a car with the pair of us, any external security is largely decorative."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Cal says, "but Peter likes it when he feels like he's doing something."

[if_inconvenient]

"Poor fellow. Ah, and speaking of Tony—"

[toblameforit]

"Those are my favourite three words to hear out of you, Sherry," he teases as he descends the staircase. "What now? Hi, Cal."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Hi, Tony," Cal says. "We were talking about finally trying for Uno's again."

[toblameforit]

"...Awesome."

Beat.

"Your security guy's gonna have me followed again, isn't he."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Think of it as him following me," Cal suggests.

". . . if you'd be nice to him, I'd appreciate it."

[toblameforit]

"It's my car and it's me driving it and it's me who's gonna be creeped out the whole way there and back," Tony says stubbornly.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"It's my security guy and me who's gonna have to live with Peter for the next week if we give him any shit," Cal counters levelly.

He's gotten pretty good at sounding like he is the only person in the room who makes any sense. Reasonable, yet unmovable.