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]

. . . Cal eyes his napkin thoughtfully.

[if_inconvenient]

Sherlock arches an eyebrow.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal glances up, finds that his eyes have met Sherlock's, and immediately looks innocent.

[toblameforit]

"Four out of five," says the resident expert on innocent faces.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal ignores Tony, mostly because he doesn't know what that means.

[if_inconvenient]

"Only contextually. If you must rate his acting, at least be generous."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Oh! Right.

"Seriously," Cal agrees.

[toblameforit]

"Please. If you're making 'who, me?' faces at Sherry, you've gotta know he can tell you're up to something."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"That doesn't mean I'm not good at them."

He never said anything about expecting it to work.

[toblameforit]

"Yeah, but now both of us know you're planning something. Four out of five."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I'm not planning anything," Cal says immediately.

Denial is, as he has shown before, one of his favorite policies.

[toblameforit]

"Why do you even bother?"

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal tears a piece off his napkin.

"To make you ask that question."

[toblameforit]

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal rolls up the piece of napkin and flicks it at Tony's face.

[toblameforit]

"...okay, should've seen that coming," he admits.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal smirks.

"See?" he says. "I am good."

[if_inconvenient]

"Masterful," Sherlock agrees.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal sits back smugly with his soda.

[toblameforit]

"You're both assholes. I think I said that already."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal sips through his straw and nods.

"And we agreed that was why you like us," he says.

[toblameforit]

"Pretty much."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal considers this.

"Those are some pretty low standards."

[toblameforit]

"No way. I only like the best assholes."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal . . . does not exchange a glance with Sherlock. He stirs the ice in his soda with his straw and says,

"When you put it that way, it's kinda gross."