Story: "Coming Around" (Part 2 of 14)
Apr. 10th, 2013 12:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story is a sequel to "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," and "Splash."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Bruce Banner, Hulk.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child/domestic abuse. Current environment is safe.
Summary: Phil shows Bruce the cute pictures of the team helping Hulk clean up after the bilgesnipe fight. Bruce finds the whole idea more confusing than pleasing.
Notes: Teamwork. Friendship. Flangst. Hurt/comfort. Dysfunctional relationship dynamics. Trust issues. Safety and security. ALL THE FEELS. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Personal growth. Family of choice.
Begin with Part 1. Skip to Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14.
"Coming Around" Part 2
"I have photographic evidence to the contrary, Bruce. You may not have seen the gentle side of Hulk, but the rest of us have," Phil said. "He asked us to share some things with you, since he has trouble doing so himself." Hulk's request made Phil suspect that his emotional intelligence ranked a lot higher than most people gave him credit for, and Bruce's negative descriptions only made matters worse. "Tony and I promised to take care of this for the two of you."
"He asked you?" Bruce said. He gave Phil a dubious look. Something about this clearly bothered him, but Phil couldn't tell what.
"Quite nicely," Phil said. "First we fought the bilgesnipe -- team cooperation is still rising, by the way -- and then Tony rigged a fire hydrant so we could all clean up. Hulk enjoyed his bath tremendously. You may get more of that in the future because we've promised to wash him after any messy fight. These are pictures from Hulk's bathtime." Phil handed Bruce a Starkpad with the images that Tony had carefully loaded onto it.
"Is this ... bubble bath?" Bruce asked, much as Clint had done earlier.
"Lemon-scented liquid soap with strong foaming action and something to break down the noxious oil from the bilgesnipe," Phil said. "I believe Tony attached the chemical formula for your perusal."
"Yeah, there it is," Bruce said, his fingers flicking through the familiar commands. Then he went back to the pictures.
"Why is Natasha riding an inner tube shaped like a duck? That image is just making my brain go TILT and shut down the whole system."
"Natka, actually. Hulk's personality and his tendency to call me 'Uncle Phil' put everyone in a game night kind of mood," Phil said.
"In public? Is that safe?" Bruce asked.
"Interesting that you should say that -- Hulk asked me the same thing. I made sure we had a perimeter and a surveillance blackout, so yes, perfectly safe," Phil said.
"Huh," Bruce said, bemused.
"Anyway, Natka and Clint got into a water fight. Hulk put her on the rubber ducky and skated her out of reach," Phil said. "He has a remarkably delicate touch at times."
"Sure he does," Bruce said darkly. "The Other Guy handles delicacy the way I handle power: badly." Bruce seemed resentful -- almost jealous -- of the suggestion that Hulk might have the potential for any kind of tenderness or discernment. "Don't mix us up. Don't confuse him with me. We are nothing alike, and the sooner you get that through your head, the safer we'll all be."
"It's not confusion, it's observation," Phil said mildly. Bruce wasn't even reading himself accurately, let alone Hulk. One didn't become an expert in gamma radiation without a fine grasp of power. "I see some of the same admirable traits in both of you. You've earned the trust of several very cautious people -- that's not something to take lightly."
"You can't trust him, Phil. I can't trust him," Bruce insisted, growing more agitated. He shifted restlessly in bed. He resisted any suggestion of common ground between himself and Hulk. "I never know when I'm going to wake up and have to clean up some mess he's made, or run for my life because of what he's done."
* * *
Notes:
Emotional intelligence concerns the fluency with which a person perceives, uses, understands, and manages emotions. There are ways of developing emotional intelligence. In the theory of multiple intelligences, there are commonly nine types listed. Emotional intelligence is a related concept but not part of the exact same set; it overlaps interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences.
When one person badmouths another within a group, it tends to undermine the teamwork. The Avengers are just starting to realize how skewed Bruce's perception of Hulk can be. It's not without basis, but it's getting less and less accurate over time.
Bruce has a somewhat different idea of secrecy and privacy than Hulk, even though he quickly asks a similar question. Bruce is thinking more about family secrets and family privacy in terms of potential risks, rather than group cohesion.
Earning trust is a vital part of relationships. The bond between Bruce and Hulk is a major weakness in the team, because the two of them don't trust each other.
[To be continued in Part 3 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Bruce Banner, Hulk.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child/domestic abuse. Current environment is safe.
Summary: Phil shows Bruce the cute pictures of the team helping Hulk clean up after the bilgesnipe fight. Bruce finds the whole idea more confusing than pleasing.
Notes: Teamwork. Friendship. Flangst. Hurt/comfort. Dysfunctional relationship dynamics. Trust issues. Safety and security. ALL THE FEELS. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Personal growth. Family of choice.
Begin with Part 1. Skip to Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14.
"Coming Around" Part 2
"I have photographic evidence to the contrary, Bruce. You may not have seen the gentle side of Hulk, but the rest of us have," Phil said. "He asked us to share some things with you, since he has trouble doing so himself." Hulk's request made Phil suspect that his emotional intelligence ranked a lot higher than most people gave him credit for, and Bruce's negative descriptions only made matters worse. "Tony and I promised to take care of this for the two of you."
"He asked you?" Bruce said. He gave Phil a dubious look. Something about this clearly bothered him, but Phil couldn't tell what.
"Quite nicely," Phil said. "First we fought the bilgesnipe -- team cooperation is still rising, by the way -- and then Tony rigged a fire hydrant so we could all clean up. Hulk enjoyed his bath tremendously. You may get more of that in the future because we've promised to wash him after any messy fight. These are pictures from Hulk's bathtime." Phil handed Bruce a Starkpad with the images that Tony had carefully loaded onto it.
"Is this ... bubble bath?" Bruce asked, much as Clint had done earlier.
"Lemon-scented liquid soap with strong foaming action and something to break down the noxious oil from the bilgesnipe," Phil said. "I believe Tony attached the chemical formula for your perusal."
"Yeah, there it is," Bruce said, his fingers flicking through the familiar commands. Then he went back to the pictures.
"Why is Natasha riding an inner tube shaped like a duck? That image is just making my brain go TILT and shut down the whole system."
"Natka, actually. Hulk's personality and his tendency to call me 'Uncle Phil' put everyone in a game night kind of mood," Phil said.
"In public? Is that safe?" Bruce asked.
"Interesting that you should say that -- Hulk asked me the same thing. I made sure we had a perimeter and a surveillance blackout, so yes, perfectly safe," Phil said.
"Huh," Bruce said, bemused.
"Anyway, Natka and Clint got into a water fight. Hulk put her on the rubber ducky and skated her out of reach," Phil said. "He has a remarkably delicate touch at times."
"Sure he does," Bruce said darkly. "The Other Guy handles delicacy the way I handle power: badly." Bruce seemed resentful -- almost jealous -- of the suggestion that Hulk might have the potential for any kind of tenderness or discernment. "Don't mix us up. Don't confuse him with me. We are nothing alike, and the sooner you get that through your head, the safer we'll all be."
"It's not confusion, it's observation," Phil said mildly. Bruce wasn't even reading himself accurately, let alone Hulk. One didn't become an expert in gamma radiation without a fine grasp of power. "I see some of the same admirable traits in both of you. You've earned the trust of several very cautious people -- that's not something to take lightly."
"You can't trust him, Phil. I can't trust him," Bruce insisted, growing more agitated. He shifted restlessly in bed. He resisted any suggestion of common ground between himself and Hulk. "I never know when I'm going to wake up and have to clean up some mess he's made, or run for my life because of what he's done."
* * *
Notes:
Emotional intelligence concerns the fluency with which a person perceives, uses, understands, and manages emotions. There are ways of developing emotional intelligence. In the theory of multiple intelligences, there are commonly nine types listed. Emotional intelligence is a related concept but not part of the exact same set; it overlaps interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences.
When one person badmouths another within a group, it tends to undermine the teamwork. The Avengers are just starting to realize how skewed Bruce's perception of Hulk can be. It's not without basis, but it's getting less and less accurate over time.
Bruce has a somewhat different idea of secrecy and privacy than Hulk, even though he quickly asks a similar question. Bruce is thinking more about family secrets and family privacy in terms of potential risks, rather than group cohesion.
Earning trust is a vital part of relationships. The bond between Bruce and Hulk is a major weakness in the team, because the two of them don't trust each other.
[To be continued in Part 3 ...]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Oh Bruce...
Date: 2013-04-10 05:36 am (UTC)Re: Oh Bruce...
Date: 2013-04-10 07:54 am (UTC)Yes. He can't see the forest for the big green tree in the way.
>> He's fighting against the hulk so hard that he doesn't see how well the hulk fits in. <<
Bruce feels that if he doesn't fight against the Hulk, there won't be any life left for him, and it won't be safe for anyone else either. He's so invested in that, he can't imagine anything else, even with evidence. But that evidence is just going to keep piling up.
>> Another great update, keep 'em coming! :) <<
Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this.
Re: Oh Bruce...
Date: 2013-04-10 12:22 pm (UTC)Re: Oh Bruce...
Date: 2013-04-10 05:35 pm (UTC)What usually happens when abused children grow up and try to form relationships later in life?
Re: Oh Bruce...
Date: 2013-04-10 05:37 pm (UTC)Re: Oh Bruce...
Date: 2013-04-10 06:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-10 05:42 am (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2013-04-11 02:02 am (UTC)Sooth.
>> Neither one can talk it out with the other and explain cause they don't communicate well with each other. <<
Too true. Not only are they alternating control of the same body, they're fluent in different communication modes and not good at each other's.
>> At least Hulk is trying to be good to Bruce and help him out. It's not his fault they get attacked so often. <<
So very true. Hulk sees it as his job to protect Bruce. Bruce sees it as his job to protect the world from Hulk. And yet, in some ways, Bruce protects Hulk too. Bruce tries to avoid the army and SHIELD getting ahold of him, for both their sakes. He doesn't want the big guy getting tortured again. There's some affection, or at least sympathy, it's just buried under a massive dumptruck of Issues.
They'd both be much better off if other people would quit trying to murder or enslave them. A lot of their problems have to do with external causes, or at least that's exacerbating internal ones.
>> Loved this chapter, I like to see both sides of the same coin and how the separate people handle situations. <<
Thank you! I really enjoy that too, looking at one thing from different perspectives. It creates a kind of binocular vision.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-10 09:53 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2013-04-11 05:20 pm (UTC)Sooth. We see the world not as it is, but as we are.
>> He probably thinks he's protecting his team by warning them against getting comfortable with Hulk and can't see that he's the one who needs to become comfortable with Hulk and their shared existance. <<
Yes, precisely. And in a weird way, this happens because Bruce views Hulk as ... not exactly himself, but within the sphere of himself, such that he mistreats Hulk because so many people tend to mistreat Bruce. That's just what he subconsciously expects to happen. So it's not merely that Bruce balks at the idea of treating Hulk well, but at the idea of himself deserving better treatment.
>> This was awesome. <<
Yay! I'm glad you liked it.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-10 10:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-10 12:00 pm (UTC)Liking this [and the previous] story arc pretty much, it'll be interesting where you take this.
Although, I wonder if Bruce and Hulk will end up leaving messages for each other, it'd be a slow and convoluted way for them to communicate, but geeze, those two really need to talk!
Thoughts
Date: 2013-04-10 11:02 pm (UTC)Sooth.
>> because Bruce has clearly forgotten that the Hulk is part of himself. A part he's clearly disassociated from and walled off. <<
They are distinct people, but also still connected. Hence the way Bruce sometimes refers to Hulk as someone else (when emphasizing their differences) and sometimes as if they're the same (when blaming himself for Hulk's actions). Some traits they hold in common, some are different. Some memories they share, many they don't -- and memory is a big part of what defines personality. But as long as they're fighting and not communicating, they're both limited in what they can do, because that makes it a great deal harder to share anything and the transitions are worse too.
>>Liking this [and the previous] story arc pretty much, it'll be interesting where you take this.<<
Thank you!
>> Although, I wonder if Bruce and Hulk will end up leaving messages for each other, it'd be a slow and convoluted way for them to communicate, but geeze, those two really need to talk! <<
This is Hulk's first outward effort in that direction. He's getting better at passing memories to Bruce, and Bruce can pass limited pre-battle information to Hulk. But that's as far as they've gotten. I think it's ironic that Bruce, with his higher intellect and technological finesse, is not the one to think of this, but rather Hulk with his greater intrapersonal awareness. They are moving in the right direction, but it's not a short trip.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2013-04-12 03:42 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2013-04-13 01:53 am (UTC)Yes, it's all about the self-knowledge. The part about each of them knowing his own feelings, and the part where they overlap, that's intrapersonal. The part where they have some differences, and have to relate to each other, is interpersonal.
>> although if anyone can make tech to assist it, this gang can. <<
Hmm ... well, it's kind of like double-exposure on film, two minds in one brain. It would be challenging to pick up both signals at the same time and filter them apart enough to let the two halves talk to each other. Should be at least theoretically possible. They've done crazier things with tech. That could be interesting ...
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2013-04-13 02:50 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2013-04-13 10:09 pm (UTC)I think videotape would be simplest. They'd just need someone else to run it. That's kind of what they already have going in terms of Bruce watching footage of Hulk after the fact. It's giving a skewed impression, though, because Hulk is busy fighting in the news images that Bruce has seen. So of course the family snapshots were totally different.
>> For lots of obvious reasons, physical notes wouldn't work, or anything that would require Hulk to manage tech (like a gadget with controls). <<
Hulk's dexterity is decent, he's just huge and strong, so it's hard for him to use anything made for ordinary people. (In gaming, I call this the "fragile world" defect, and it's worth a bundle of points.) But if he had something designed for him, it would be fine as long as it wasn't too complicated.
>>But maybe some way either one of them could mentally flag a thought to make it accessible to the other's memory, or use a special code phrase to trigger the "recording" device.<<
They're learning how to hand off memories on purpose, rather than just relying on the random shuffle effect. What they haven't really learned yet is how to share memories from root storage on purpose. And Bruce isn't accounting for the changes in Hulk caused by their efforts to shift form deliberately for combat: Hulk is much more focused if he comes out on purpose and Bruce has managed to pass along what the bad guys look like.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-10 05:20 pm (UTC)You're welcome!
Date: 2013-04-11 05:28 pm (UTC)Sooth.
>> Phil must be frustrated though, not to be able to help him, even with the evidence Hulk had them collect... <<
Yes, but Phil isn't going to give up on Bruce-and-Hulk just because it's not a quick fix. He can be very patient.
>> Great chapter, thanks! <<
I'm glad you like it.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-11 02:43 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2013-04-11 06:44 pm (UTC)I'm happy to hear that!
>>I actually put your DW fiction tag into my browser bookmarks, because I check your DW for updates every night before I go to bed - just wanted you to know that I look forward to your continuation of the series!<<
Thank you! I have a little fanfic posted, some original fiction, and massive amounts of poetry. I like to use fanfic to experiment with new techniques, and to find what motifs people love best so I can load those into my canons.
>>I love what you're doing with this, so, so much.<<
Yay! That's always good to hear.
This looks good!
Date: 2013-04-11 12:06 pm (UTC)Re: This looks good!
Date: 2013-04-12 05:56 am (UTC)That's one of my favorite parts of fanfic, digging into character backstory and using it to extrapolate new conflicts. "Coming Around" is all about that for Bruce, but if you look at the rest of this series, you'll see me doing it to everyone else as well. I'm glad you're enjoying this!
>> Oh and I've never really used this site before...is there a way to get notifications without necessarily signing up? I don't want to let this story go! Thanks! <<
If you have a feed manager, you should be able to load my Dreamwidth journal into that, or even a specific tag -- someone else mentioned putting my "fiction" tag on their feed. But different feed programs work in different ways so I don't know what yours will do, if you even use one.
Anyhow, I've been updating daily. I'm working on another story after this one.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-05-05 12:30 pm (UTC)Hmm...
Date: 2013-05-07 02:54 am (UTC)I do have some resources on autism that I found while working on my series An Army of One: The Autistic Secession in Space. Some of that deals with alternative perspectives and interactions, which you might find useful even if it's tangential to your original topic.
Sorry I don't have anything better to offer. Finding really good material in this field is very difficult.
Re: Hmm...
Date: 2013-05-07 07:23 am (UTC)Re: Hmm...
Date: 2013-05-07 07:28 am (UTC)