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]

As does Cal.

"Do you do anything innocently?" he asks. "Ever?"

[toblameforit]

"...maybe."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal feels that a deeply skeptical look is the only response that's required.

[toblameforit]

"No, for once, I was not the first one at the table to think of the dirty meaning."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"That doesn't count."

Give him a few seconds and he'll think of why!

[toblameforit]

"Because," he continues inexorably, "you got there before I did."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't mean you wouldn't have thought of it at all."

That's why.

[toblameforit]

"And that matters how?"

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Because you still would have thought of it."

Obviously.

[toblameforit]

"Except, again, you thought of it first."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"And that makes you innocent how?" Cal asks. "'Not first' is not the same as 'not at all.'"

[toblameforit]

"It makes me innocenter than you."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal rolls his eyes. Really, does he even need to say anything?

No. No, he does not.

[if_inconvenient]

"Innocenter is not a word," Sherlock feels the need to point out.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"That too," Cal agrees immediately. Even though it is not technically relevant to his point.

[toblameforit]

"Like you even knew that."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"- I didn't have to."

Sherlock knows stuff for him.

[toblameforit]

"Yeah, you've got Sherry to be a pedantic asshole for you."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way."

Mainly because pedantic is not a word he knows.

[if_inconvenient]

"You will now."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, it's not hard to figure out from context, or at least get a rough idea, which is why Cal says,

"Probably, yeah."

[toblameforit]

The vocabulary thing clicks.

"It means, like—Sherlock," Tony says helpfully.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal laughs.

His vocabulary has been improving, slowly but steadily, since he met Sherlock. Words are easier to remember when he's heard Sherlock use them, especially in moments like these.

(And it's long since stopped bothering him when either of them notices he hasn't understood something. Unlike some people Cal knows, they don't point it out just to make him feel stupid.)

[if_inconvenient]

"Attentive to detail," he elaborates.

[toblameforit]

"And annoyingly pushy about it."