Sunnydale AU: and nothing even blew up

[americas_son]

Cal isn't sure which took longer: the speeches at the graduation ceremony, or the gathering his mother had planned after. At least the monotony of the party was broken up by Grahame's calmly stealing the spotlight to announce his new job with some law firm in LA.

Cal kind of has to admire his style there.

But, whatever, either way it's finally all over, and now he's pulling up in front of Tina's house to pick her up and head over to the Stark residence for the real party.

Comments

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

She nods.

"You just can't take me anywhere," she says.

She sits down on a couch and sighs. Then she smiles. It'll be okay. They're all friends, right? Or close enough to it.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal sits next to her and puts his arm around her, leaning in to kiss her temple.

"I'll take you everywhere," he says.

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

She grins and cuddles up to him.

"Okay. I'll let you. I like going places.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"And I like having you with me."

So they both win.

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

"Uh huh. And now we're high school graduates. We can go anywhere and do anything."

She's still a little high on speeches and greeting card messages.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal grins at that.

"Where do you wanna go?" he asks.

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

"Broadway," she laughs. "New York City."

She's not being serious, but it would be fun. When can you talk about dreams if not on your graduation night?

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Okay."

Cal's schedule is loosening up now that he doesn't have to fit school into it. He could justify a couple days in New York.

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

She's not fishing for a trip. She thinks they're just dreaming together.

"One day."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal wasn't being serious, either, until about seven seconds ago. A trip to New York isn't a big deal to him. Weekend stuff. He's never actually been there more than three days at the most.

"Anything you especially wanna see?"

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

"A real show. Central Park. The Statue of Liberty. Times Square. All the lame tourist stuff."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I've never done all the lame tourist stuff before," Cal says reflectively.

He smiles.

"Sounds like fun."

[if_inconvenient]

"Go and do it, then," Sherlock suggests from the doorway.

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Sherlock," she says, smiling. "I wondered whether you were going to join us."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Cal says.

"I think we should." He grins at Tina.

[toblameforit]

"Should what?"

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

"Huh?"

Wait, he's talking about going to New York, isn't he?

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I should take Tina to New York," Cal clarifies. "It'd be fun."

He's speaking to Tony, but he's looking at Tina.

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

Seriously? Or are they speaking theoretically, here?

"That would be amazing fun."

God, her mom would kill her for even considering a trip with Cal.

[toblameforit]

"You should," Tony agrees, setting the promised cooler down beside the coffee table and opening it to reveal a dazzling selection of beers, from which he grabs one without really looking.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal snags one without looking too closely, either. Beer is beer.

He leaves Tina to pick her own, though, in case she has a preference.

"You busy next weekend?"

[take-youaway.livejournal.com]

She takes an amber light and freaks out a little.

This isn't a drive down to L.A. She can't afford a trip to New York. She probably couldn't afford dinner at a nice restaurant in New York. She's beyond awkward about someone - even someone like Cal whom she likes and trusts - spending that kind of money on her.

So she jokes, "I have to work next weekend. I'm not blowing my new gig at the Dress Barn after my month in hell at the fast-food-place-that-will-not-be-named."

[if_inconvenient]

Sherlock kindly doesn't name it.

[toblameforit]

"I should go to New York," Tony muses between swigs. "God only knows what they're getting up to without me."

And by God, he means Virginia Potts.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, you're kind of out of excuses." That would be the negative side to graduating.

To Tina, he says,

"Well, let me know when you can. We can call it a late graduation present."