americas_son | Sunnydale AU: careful of the curse

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Sunnydale AU: careful of the curse

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.

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Cal reaches over to stroke her hair, smoothing a piece back behind her ear.

"We have to be sure," he says, as gently as he can.

...Sherlock will just be over here. Cooking.

"I know."

She looks down into her glass. It is fascinating soda.

"Mmm, spaghetti and meatballs," she finally says, faking a smile. "Did you know that was one of my favorites, Sherlock?"

"Lucky guess," he admits, with a flicker of a smile.

She feels more human in a nice kitchen with friends and food that smells so good...

And then she realizes the implications of that saying 'feels more human'. It must have been coined in Sunnydale.

"You're a great guesser, then. Cal, um, you already ate, right?" She notices for the first time how tired he looks.

"Yeah, a while ago."

He gives her a smile. "I'm all set."

"I, um, if it's okay, I want you both to leave me alone if- when it happens. Just shut me in the room and don't come back. I don't want you to see me like that."

Or to be in danger by being near. That way maybe they can get some sleep.

She hopes the room is soundproof.

Cal nods.

"That's fine," he assures her. "Jarvis can keep an eye on you. No one else has to be there."

"Good. You need to get sleep. Promise me you will, okay?"

Cal wonders vaguely if he smells tired; having not run into a mirror yet today, he doesn't realize how clearly it's written on his face.

"I'll try," he says. It's the closest he can get to a truthful promise. It's possible he might not be able to sleep tonight at all. But he can try.

"Both of you have to try. I shouldn't keep you- It would make me feel worse if-"

She shrugs and falls quiet.

"Tony's here, or is he gone?"

"Downstairs, no doubt still drawing schematics," Sherlock supplies, avoiding the whole question of sleep.

"Like usual?"

She hopes.

"It's a habit of his," he says agreeably, though in this particular case Tony is in fact working on a werewolf safe room. By unspoken consensus, not a single member of the Stark family has uttered the word 'cage' in reference to this project.

"Good."

At least someone around her can have a normal day.

(She'd be very relieved to know that no one's building her a cage.)

"Oh... shit. I was supposed to work tonight."

She'll have to call in sick. Or quit.

"You can call out," Cal says. "Maybe you can get them to start scheduling you for day shifts."

Which happens to be something he's been wanting her to do anyway, precisely because of the possibility of something like this. He pushes that thought away guiltily; bringing it up won't help.

"Yeah, I can try. Everyone wants the day shifts."

She hasn't been there long enough to get them. What is she going to do?

Okay, she can't deal with this right now. One thing at a time.

"I'll just- I'll go call."

She pulls her phone out of her pocket and leaves the kitchen.

When she's out of the room, Cal sighs and rubs his hands over his face.

"I'll get her the damn day shifts," he mutters into his palms.

She doesn't have to have the job, not as long as she's dating him; he'd never let her go without. But he understands, kind of, that it's important she be able to depend on herself for money.

"With or without notifying her of your intervention?"

He shrugs.

"If she'd been working during the day, this wouldn't have happened."

It's not an answer, except that it kind of is. One less thing for her to worry about, right?

"That is a dangerous road to travel, I hope you realize."

It's true. But Cal isn't in the mood. He rolls his eyes.

"It's a shitty job anyway," he says. "As long as her boss doesn't take it out on her, I don't care."

He shrugs, unwilling to pursue the point with Tina herself so close at hand.

He'll think about it later. He has to save what energy (and calm) he's got left for Tina right now.

She comes back into the kitchen, trying to smile.

"Lie two taken care of."

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