if_inconvenient | (no subject)

Sherlock does not want to be at school today. For once in his life he is something less than indifferent to the occasional stare and snicker, the looks of familiar contempt from those who have been around long enough to get used to him. His mood has been fluctuating wildly between rage and despair since yesterday morning. He knows his self-control is good enough to keep him from reacting to any taunts with violence, but nothing will stop him from wanting to. Which is unsettling in itself.

He has a duty, though, one that cannot be ignored. And if he is going to show up at school again, he may as well do the job properly. He is on time for every class before lunch, polite if not friendly when circumstances call for conversation, crisply dressed—in trousers, thank you; he does not think he could bear the reactions to another skirt. The only signs that anything is wrong are the dark circles under his eyes and the tension that stands in sharp contrast to his usual indolence.

At noon on the dot he is in the cafeteria waiting for Bella Swan.

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"Y'know," Tony says slowly, "I am really glad he met you."

That was not what Bella might have guessed she would hear next. She smiles, surprised.

"Are you?"

"Yeah."

Not that he could really articulate why. He just... sees good things coming out of this. Some kind of good things, somehow.

"Well.

Thank you. I'll try to be a good influence."

She thinks, perhaps, Sherlock could use one, at least in some areas.

Tony snorts.

"Good luck with that," he says, and he means it as a joke but he also means it.

Sherlock raises his eyes theatrically to the ceiling.

Bella catches the gesture and laughs.

"Don't give me that look, Sherry, I'm thinking of you here."

At that, Sherlock laughs, too.

"Did you two need to talk anymore?" Bella asks.

"Nah."

He shakes his head agreeably.

"Okay. In that case, Tony, it was nice talking to you. Thank you again for agreeing to share your story with me."

It was helpful.

"Hey, you're welcome," he says easily. And because Tony is Tony: "You ever wanna talk about Sherry behind his back, call me up."

Sherlock grins and spreads his hands, indicating acceptance of this venture.

In that case:

"I would be delighted," she says cheerfully.

"Awesome."

"Just be sure to give me the new number," she reminds him.

"Yeah, sure. Uh, hang on."

The sound of typing again.

"When you have it," Bella adds.

Cheerfully, he rattles off a number.

It's nice being Tony Stark sometimes.

That was quick. Bella grabs a pen and a napkin and writes it down.

"Thank you."

"Hey, no problem. Talk to you later, then?"

"Talk to you later," Bella confirms, and ends the call.

Sherlock smiles.

"And that," he says with deep affection, "is Tony."