americas_son | Sunnydale AU: simple words

After a stop in the girls' restroom to check her hair and her lipstick, Tina chews a few Tic Tacs and heads in the direction of Cal's locker.

Her stomach is a little fluttery. It's fluttery in a good way.

Cal smiles when he sees her, making his way to her through what's left of the after-classes crowd.

"Hi."

"Hi," she says, her smile matching his. "All on your own?"

"Yep," Cal says. "But not anymore."

Because, you know. Tina is here.

"Oh, right," she says, screwing up her nose in embarrassed silliness. "Duh."

Cal laughs.

"Come on, let's get outta here."

His car is on the far side of the parking lot today; he was, after all, running a little behind this morning.

"Sounds like a plan," she says. She has a couple of books in her arms, but she makes sure one hand is available for holding. She's still a little timid about reaching for his first.

She doesn't have to; he takes her free hand casually as they head toward the entrance, like it's the most natural thing in the world to do.

(Which isn't to say he doesn't feel a pleasant little jump in his chest when he does it.)

She squeezes his hand. Next time she thinks she'll reach for his first. It's getting easier every time.

"So what do you want to do? Go to, um, your house for movies and stuff?"

"Sure," Cal says. "Mother's in Sacramento, so we won't have to worry about her today."

When she comes home, she will officially be Senator Violet Chandler. Cal prefers to focus more on the fact that it will make it easier to watch TV in the living room. He doesn't watch that television often, but he'd rather avoid the implications of taking Tina to his bedroom. That's where he usually takes girls, but Tina isn't a usual girl.

"Oh, okay. That works."

She sighs. "Your mom isn't going to like me much, I think."

Cal shrugs casually, pausing to hold the door for Tina as they leave the building.

"She doesn't like anybody," he says. "She wishes it was still like in the old days and she could pick my wife for me according to alliances and shit."

Which is a funny (he hopes) way of saying that it's not Tina's fault.

"Yeesh. She wants to marry you off already?"

It may not be her fault, but it won't just be Violet Chandler who looks down at her while she holds hands with Cal. It shouldn't bother her.

It kinda does.

"Not yet," Cal says. "She'd like it if I had some kind of understanding with a girl from our social circle, though. You know, engaged to be engaged kind of thing."

There are people who think he and Jess Scott are more serious about each other than they really are (that is, at all), which suits them and their parents just fine. It's convenient.

- which, he realizes, he's going to have to explain to Tina if things keep going as they have been.

(God, the boyfriend thing. He's so bad at the boyfriend thing.)

"I think my mom is just glad I made it through high school without having kids."

Which... she should probably not have brought up.

"Not like I..." She laughs. "Wow, could I have said anything more awkward? It was a fear of hers she hounded me about constantly. That's all. I'm not- like that. Having kids in high school, I mean."

Cal laughs and squeezes her hand.

"It's okay," he assures her. "I wouldn't care if you were."

This is, in a way, the root of all the relationship problems he's had. He's supposed to say he cares and then secretly be glad she's not a slut, because that means she won't cheat on him or something. That's how guys are supposed to think. But Cal has never figured out how to be jealous when it comes to sex.

"You wouldn't care if I were a teen mom?"

He's nuts. She would care.

"I wouldn't care if you -"

He is definitely not supposed to say "slut."

"- were a person who might become a teen mom."

The car unlocks at their approach, which is something Cal is pretty sure it didn't even do until recently. Maybe Jarvis taught it somehow or something.

"Well, I'm not that kind of person," she says in all seriousness. Just to be clear.

He glances over at her.

"Okay," he says, trying to match her seriousness.

"I mean, I know you're-"

She bites her lip.

"You're different from the rest of them, Cal. I guess maybe I am a little, too."

Cal looks at her, not sure exactly what she meant by that. Obviously she's different, but how is he different?

"I - just don't care about that stuff, I guess."

- the passenger door opens itself for Tina. (Cal has to get his own door.)

She smiles at him and nods. "Cool."

Then her door opens.

"How did-"

She points to the door, surprised. "Was that done with a remote control?"

Cal smiles back. The smile turns into a grin at her reaction.

"Nope. Tony gave it to me for my birthday. It has a bunch of modifications that he did. It still keeps doing new shit, I've never seen it do that before."

Not even for Sherlock. Or Tony himself, for that matter.

"He promised it won't fly off to Mars or anything, though."

"Tony knows how to fix up cars like that?"

This is way beyond 'fixing up' a car. She knows that. She just doesn't know how else to say it.

As she slides into the passenger seat, she runs her hands over the leather seats. "This is one sweet ride, Cal."

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