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]

"Oh, I see."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"What?"

It's true!

[if_inconvenient]

"And I thought Tony had a short memory. Remarkable."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"There is nothing wrong with my memory."

Objectively speaking, this is also true. Why bother remembering a weak, off-the-cuff joke made entirely on social reflex?

[toblameforit]

"You called him nuts, like, half a minute ago," Tony puts in. "To the waiter."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal looks blank for half a second, then realizes.

"What, that? That didn't even mean anything. That was just -" He gestures vaguely. "People like when you make jokes. When you - bring them in on it."

[toblameforit]

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"It's called social skills," Cal says, a little stiffly. "You could try it sometime."

[if_inconvenient]

"Oh, don't worry. If I required people to think before they spoke I would have washed my hands of Tony long ago."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal relaxes, the corner of his mouth turning up.

[if_inconvenient]

Sherlock flashes him a grin.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal smiles back.

The waiter stops by long enough to drop off drinks, and Cal turns his attention to unwrapping his straw.

[toblameforit]

Tony, because he is Tony, fires his straw covering sideways at Sherlock.

[if_inconvenient]

Sherlock, because he is Sherlock, catches it in midair.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal takes advantage of the opportunity to roll his up and flick it across the table at Sherlock.

[if_inconvenient]

Who catches that one, too.

"Are you quite finished?"

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I only have one straw," Cal points out.

Which is to say: yes, because he didn't think to tear the wrapper in half first.

[toblameforit]

"Think outside the box," says Tony, grabbing Sherlock's straw off the table.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Damn."

He totally should have thought of that.

[toblameforit]

He smirks, tears one end off the paper cover, and blows the remainder in Sherry's direction the same way he did with his.

[if_inconvenient]

This time he ignores the flimsy missile in favour of taking back his straw and looking as dignified as possible.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal snickers quietly around the straw in his mouth.

[if_inconvenient]

His lips twitch as he drops the straw into his glass of water.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

. . . Cal eyes his napkin thoughtfully.

[if_inconvenient]

Sherlock arches an eyebrow.