americas_son | Sunnydale AU: simple words

"Oh, uh, artificial intelligence," Cal clarifies. "Like with computers."

He gives her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I forget not everybody talks about that kind of thing every day."

He manages to spend quite a bit of time at the Stark residence.

"Oh, like robots?"

Robots are cool!

"Wait a minute. Do you guys actually live in the Matrix?"

That movie is really the only science fiction she knows, besides a couple of Star Wars viewings as a kid. This is something that could be changed!

Cal laughs.

"No, they live in a regular house."

Sort of.

"And I don't actually live with them. Well. Sometimes it seems like I do." He's thinking of Jarvis again, and how the front door opens for him before he even gets to it. "But. I don't."

"Ah, but the Matrix isn't a physical space. It's a state of mind. There is no spoon. So I think you totally live there."

She's just teasing, of course.

Wait until she meets Jarvis.

Cal thinks about this as he guides the car out onto the road. (If Tina thinks his driving is bad now, she should have tried riding with him in cars not designed to subtly accommodate his quirks.)

"Nah. I have spoons," he decides, laughing.

She laughs, too.

"Well, okay, then."

She doesn't think his driving is bad. It's just- different. She feels safe enough.

"You're pretty cute when you laugh."

"That's why I do it," he says brightly.

He looks pleased, though. He likes the compliment coming from her in a a way he wouldn't from most people. She's not sucking up or trying to flatter him. She means it.

She gets the feeling that she said just the right thing, so she pushes on.

"But then again, you're really cute anyway, so the extra cute while laughing is icing on the cake."

Cal continues to look pleased.

"I better be cute," he says. "Otherwise people are gonna wonder how I get away with hanging out with such a hot girl."

Tina looks confused. Who is he talking about? Is there another girl?

She doesn't even consider that he might be referring to her.

After a few seconds' silence, Cal glances over at her.

"That means you," he says. "Uh. Sorry I wasn't clear."

Even if he's not sure how he might not have been clear.

"You think I'm hot?"

She knew he thought she was cute, but cute is miles away from hot in her mind. She's always seen herself as cute. Okay. Not anything to write home about, but not horrible looking, either.

"Really?"

"Of course I do," Cal says. "Because you are."

It seems obvious to him, and he's used to girls who know exactly how hot they are.

"I-"

She doesn't quite know what to say. She's going to have to get used to this idea.

"Okay. Thanks."

Which is not to say, of course, that he isn't thoroughly charmed by Tina's reaction to the idea.

He grins.

"I'll just have to figure out how to convince you."

She bites her lip, but this time it's while she grins.

"I think I like that idea. A lot."

He likes when she does that.

"I think I do, too."

"I guess... I've dated some real jerks. One guy told me I'd be 'really pretty' if my nose was different. I didn't date that one long."

She might have low self-esteem, but she has some.

"I like your nose," Cal says immediately.

It's the obvious response. And besides, he likes all her parts.

Tina glances over at him, and she feels a flutter in her stomach. Or maybe it's her heart.

"I believe you."

She does. She really does. And that's- that's amazing.

Cal looks over at her and smiles.

A moment later, they arrive at the Chandler compound. Cal has the timing of his driving down to a science, triggering the gates to open and speeding through them just as they swing wide enough to admit the car.

Sunnydale doesn't actually have any mansions. But if it did, the Chandler compound would be one of them.

Now there are more flutters within her, but these are from nerves.

"Wow. Your house is- beautiful."

And big. And intimidating. She hopes she doesn't, like, stumble into a priceless china vase and bust it to pieces or something.

"Thanks."

Cal drives up the driveway and parks, saying,

"We've had it for like fifty years. Sunnydale was the only place in California Grandfather could afford a house this big. Real estate is really cheap here," he adds dryly.

Tina's door opens itself again. Cal's doesn't.

"If I didn't know better," Cal mutters to the car, "I'd think you were a smartass."

"Hmmm?"

She climbs out of the car and smooths down her skirt. She wonders if he has a butler. That would be totally bizarre.

"Nothing."

Cal gets out of the car and closes the door firmly.

He escorts Tina to the front door, where they are not greeted by a butler, and takes her to the living room.

The interior decoration fairly drips with expensive taste, without crossing the line into ostentation - fresh and trendy without looking like it's going to be dated in six months' time. Violet Chandler is very good.

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