Sunnydale AU: careful of the curse

[americas_son]

Tina is finally asleep. Richard has been and gone, leaving a mild sedative so she can sleep between transformations. Cal closes the guestroom door quietly behind him, trying to think through his own physical and emotional exhaustion (and low blood sugar, and nicotine withdrawal) to decide exactly where Sherlock will be.

Comments

[if_inconvenient]

Really, the only thing Sherlock can do here is... keep being here.

So he does.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal rubs his hand over his face, leaving a small smear of dust on his forehead.

"I thought - I just kept thinking this morning, 'I can't do this again.' What if -"

[if_inconvenient]

He squeezes Cal's shoulder.

"What if what?"

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

When he answers, it's a whisper.

"I had to kill my dad."

Most of the time, reminding himself that Reed Chandler was long gone from that body helps.

Sometimes, when he's tired or it's been a rough day or something has his mind chasing itself in circles, it doesn't.

[if_inconvenient]

Oh.

Oh, Cal.

Sherlock hugs him again.

"It is not at all the same," he murmurs.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"No."

There are no words for the relief he'd experienced when he'd realized that. He doesn't even bother to try to find them. Instead, he says, still near a whisper,

"But I was so scared it would be."

[if_inconvenient]

Holding him will not, Sherlock is well aware, make everything better.

But it is extremely preferable to the alternative.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal leans into him, eyes closed hard.

"It's not so bad," he says quietly. "It could be worse. But I don't know how to tell her that without sounding like an asshole."

No one likes the guy who goes around telling people things could always be worse, especially when he's not the one they're happening to.

[if_inconvenient]

"Oh, yes. It could always be worse. But sometimes knowing that does not particularly help."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I know."

Cal can think of ways in which every one of the shitty things that have happened could be worse.

(if he hadn't had his laserpointer, if he'd been alone in New York that night, if he hadn't stopped Tony in time to keep him from reaching the seal -

If he hadn't decided to go to Angela's party that night . . .)

It really doesn't help.

[if_inconvenient]

So, hugs.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal holds on to him, thinking of how Sherlock held him as he finally cried for his father.

(He hasn't cried over it since.

He doesn't know if he'd be able to stop.)

He's nowhere near tears this time, though; he breathes carefully for a moment, composing himself, then says,

"The furniture's not gonna move itself."

[if_inconvenient]

"All right."

Sherlock lets go and steps back.

"Can you manage the desk if I take the chair?"

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal eyes it.

"Let's find out."

It turn out that he can, more or less, pushing it toward the door. It's lighter than he would have expected.

[if_inconvenient]

"It'll fit in nicely at the end of the hall, I think. I'll relocate the chair and then come back to give you a hand."

He does exactly that. The vaguely office-like room at the end of the hall is small, but sparsely furnished; the desk will indeed fit just fine.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

When they get the desk into the little room, Cal leans against it to get his breath back.

He doesn't really get a lot of sustained exercise.

[if_inconvenient]

Sherlock waits politely for him.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"The bed next?"

They are, he realizes, going to have to take it apart to get it through the door.

Well. It'll be easier to carry.

[if_inconvenient]

"That may present a little more difficulty, but yes."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"We'll need . . ." He gestures vaguely.

Tools of some kind. Probably.

[if_inconvenient]

"I don't believe so, actually. Not for this one. Shall we find out?"

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal straightens up.

"Okay."

[if_inconvenient]

He leads the way back down the hall.

As it turns out, once they have extracted the mattress, the frame comes apart quite tidily.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal appreciates this, as it makes the whole process go a bit faster. And he doesn't have to deal with trying to use tools.

[if_inconvenient]

In the end, the mattress stays. Tina may as well be comfortable before her transformation, and no one else in this house will ever be particularly keen to sleep on that thing.