ysabetwordsmith | Story: "Hairpins" Part 9

This story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys,""Saudades," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," "Hide and Seek," "Kernel Error," "Happy Hour," and "Green Eggs and Hulk."

Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, JARVIS, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanova, Bruce Banner.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: This story is mostly fluff, but it has some intense scenes in the middle. Highlight for details. These include dubious consent as Phil and JARVIS discuss what really happened when Agent Coulson hacked his way into Stark Tower, over which Phil has something between a flashback and a panic attack. They also discuss some of the bad things that have happened to Avengers in the past, including various flavors of abuse. If these are sensitive topics for you, please think carefully before deciding whether to read onward.
Summary: Uncle Phil needs to pick out pajamas for game night. He gets help from an unexpected direction.
Notes: Service. Shopping. Gifts. Artificial intelligence. Computers. Teamwork. Team as family. Friendship. Communication. Hope. Apologies. Forgiveness. Nonsexual ageplay. Nonsexual intimacy. Love. Tony Stark needs a hug. Bruce Banner needs a hug. #coulsonlives.

Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8. Skip to Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14.

"Hairpins" Part 9

Phil turned off the Starkpad, then set it in his lap. He rubbed his hands over his face. "Tony is an easy man to misread," he said. "I've made that mistake before. I do not want to repeat it. He's just beginning to open up to me. I need to get this right. I simply don't have the intel to make that happen. For all the flash and snap in public, he doesn't let out much of substance -- especially early in his life. I don't know what to do next." He covered the dark screen with his hand.

"Look again," JARVIS said. "I trust you will handle this information with the respect it deserves."

The Starkpad lit up under Phil's fingers. He looked at it. There in pure shades of red, white, and blue was a Captain America uniform rendered in soft fleece. "You can't be serious," Phil scoffed. "Tony and Steve hate each other!" Then in a low voice he continued, "... and I don't know how to fix it."

"Neither do I," JARVIS said, "but that does not mean we can stop trying."

"This doesn't make any sense," Phil insisted. "I've always admired Captain America, but Tony Stark is a different story."

"And Tony Carter is different yet again. Do you recall the invention of the new element?" JARVIS asked.

Phil would never forget it. Tony had been strung out on far too much caffeine, and frankly still sick from the palladium poisoning, palliative treatment notwithstanding. Everything depended on a rickety contraption spread all over the room and propped up with whatever was handy. It had been nerve-wracking.

"Sir asked you to hand him something," JARVIS continued.

Suddenly the image flashed in his mind, the smooth curve of the old prototype. Phil had passed it to Tony, who used it to raise part of the big pipe into alignment. "It was a shield ..." Phil said.

Images shuffled across the screen. The one on top now showed a very young boy with dark wild hair dressed in plain blue pajamas ... which had been modified with a quantity of white and red tape. It looked like a scan of an old Polaroid. I can't imagine Tony being let out of the house dressed like that, so the picture must have been taken by someone who lived with him. A nanny, perhaps; I know he had those, Phil thought.

"Very little record remains of sir's truly private life," JARVIS said. "What you see here is real, just not current. If you wish to remind him of those early days -- if you want to get this not merely right but perfect -- then you must reach back to help him reclaim what has been lost."

The voice from the walls fell silent then. It was uncanny how responsive it could be. Phil had been living in the tower for some time now, and he still wasn't used to it. He had never known it to hurt anyone, though, and as a security system it was staunchly protective of Tony. Something fluttered in the back of Phil's mind, some kind of pattern trying to focus, then fuzzing out again. He was just too tired to bring it together yet.

The images in Phil's lap melted away, leaving the screen divided between his search page -- even though he hadn't saved it -- and the order page. Phil took a deep breath and considered his options.

Then he ordered the Captain America pajamas.

* * *

Notes:

People, especially men, often mask their true feelings due to social pressure or other reasons. This can make it difficult to read them accurately. Body language, gender and ability markers, etc. can all be manipulated or misread. Misinterpretations and miscommunication often place a strain on relationships.

It's hard to deal with people who hate each other, especially if you're friends with both of them and get caught in the middle of their conflict. Phil's attempt to remain neutral between Steve and Tony is about the best that can be managed, and probably helps set the stage for the hairpin turn of Tony Carter latching onto little!Steve later.

A prototype of the Captain America shield appeared in the workshop where Tony created the new element during Iron Man 2. Tony asking Phil to hand him that object is both a tweak at Phil and Captain America, and a show of trust.

Athena4405 has made fanart for the polaroid of Tony.

Compare an example of Steve's uniform from Captain America: The First Avenger and this set of Captain America footie pajamas found by one of my readers.

Adultification happens when children are pressured to behave beyond their age and/or developmental level. It is particularly a risk for gifted children, but can also happen with wealthy or famous children who are often in the public view. There are hints in canon that Tony was pushed to perform early, and then rebelled as a teen and young adult.

[To be continued in Part 10 ...]

Current Mood: busy

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From:

singingwithoutwords

*incoherent noises of FEELS and glee*

Jarvis is just so perfect I can't even. I just can't. He needs a body because I need to hug him, and the tower's kind of big for that.
*attempts to hug the tower, anyway*

And Phiiiiiil, how is a grown man so effing adorable? It just doesn't make sense! I also cannot with this, because he is just so precious and wonderful with his Uncle Phil stuff. I'm dying of feels over here, seriously.

This comment would be more coherent if I didn't consider this fic totally worth staying up past midnight for. Now I'm off to bed to wait impatiently for Wednesday!
/flies off into the sunset
/even though sunset was hours ago

What? You can't expect sanity out of me. That's just silly.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> *incoherent noises of FEELS and glee* <<

I'm glad you enjoyed this so much.

>> Jarvis is just so perfect I can't even. I just can't. <<

Hee!

>> He needs a body because I need to hug him, and the tower's kind of big for that. <<

JARVIS is pretty set on his self-image. He inhabits buildings, and also the Iron Man suits; but he doesn't do solo humanoid bodies.

>> *attempts to hug the tower, anyway* <<

On the other hand, he does have some tactile input from the tower, and over time more of the Avengers are starting to offer him physical affection. This is something I hope to explore further as the series continues.

>> And Phiiiiiil, how is a grown man so effing adorable? It just doesn't make sense! <<

I think it's because he starts out small and soft and harmless-looking in the movies, despite his very formidable skills.

>> I also cannot with this, because he is just so precious and wonderful with his Uncle Phil stuff. I'm dying of feels over here, seriously. <<

So then when I add a big pile of fluff with Uncle Phil, da cute!

>> This comment would be more coherent if I didn't consider this fic totally worth staying up past midnight for. <<

You made perfect sense anyway. Sometimes it's fun just to watch folks flailing in glee.

>> Now I'm off to bed to wait impatiently for Wednesday!
/flies off into the sunset
/even though sunset was hours ago <<

Now imagine what's going to happen when a well-rested Phil receives the package, and starts mulling over recent events...

>> What? You can't expect sanity out of me. That's just silly. <<

*laugh* Eh, it's always sunset somewhere.

From:

somecrazygirl

I second the notion that JARVIS needs a hug. He doesn't have to have a humanoid body. He could be a tree, a kitten, even a Let's-Send-Humanoid-Tactile-Input-to-JARVIS sphere... and in any of those situations I would give him a huge hug. Though I worry it wouldn't do so much because he doesn't have the same programming as a human... at least he'd probably get the sentiment.

There's a special place in my heart for JARVIS as you characterize him because he feels like a very extreme version of me as a teenager. I was fairly socially isolated, bright, group "mom" to a bunch of friends who had problems and did worrisome things and got themselves into scary situations all the time while all I could do was hope everything worked out... And piece by piece, things are working out for him.

I want to poke the JARVIS of this part of the timeline and whisper, "Hey, people love you and Tony is going to start getting better and everything is going to be so much more awesome than you can even imagine right now." Because he could use the reassurance.

Re: Yay!

From:

ysabetwordsmith - Date: 2014-03-13 06:05 am (UTC) - Expand

I am - yet again- up past midnight. For no reason consciously known, I tried the link for this and... new post! GLEEE!

Now I not only want to hug both Jarvis and Phil, but... (It's amusing, how many seeds for stories germinate from that one little word!)

Phil doesn't seem to be strongly physically demonstrative in the movies (moreso on the SHIELD television series)--what kind of reaction/response could one offer without tripping past his comfort zone?

Jarvis, frankly, is such a difficult network of sensory input to imagine, that a "hug" for him becomes a totally different manifestation. So, where exactly do these two expressions meet... and mean the SAME thing?

Fortunately for them, they both tend toward verbal interaction as a first response, so they'll understand and accept both more precision and less, when dealing with each other. Words, inflections, the odd vocalization when tired or amused or enjoying something, can carry the same intent as a "hug". I'm as eager to read about HOW they work these details out as I am confident that they will manage to do so.

Fortunately for the readers, that means MORE words, which means MORE story.

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

Handclasp and hand on the shoulder, I'd think.

Oh, they will be able to enjoy a subtle dry dance of English.

From:

thnidu

Such as our host's mention, in her Notes, of "the hairpin turn of Tony Carter latching onto little!Steve later."

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Handclasp and hand on the shoulder, I'd think. <<

Yes, Phil does that a lot. He's also prone to putting a hand on someone's knee. As we've seen in other stories in this series, some of the Avengers reach out to JARVIS by touching various pieces of technology, or whatever part of the tower is closest at the time.

>> Oh, they will be able to enjoy a subtle dry dance of English. <<

That has definitely shown up in some stories.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> I am - yet again- up past midnight. For no reason consciously known, I tried the link for this and... new post! GLEEE! <<

Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much.

>> Now I not only want to hug both Jarvis and Phil, but... (It's amusing, how many seeds for stories germinate from that one little word!) <<

Sooth. Hugs are good.

>> Phil doesn't seem to be strongly physically demonstrative in the movies (moreso on the SHIELD television series)-- <<

He is not as tactile as some other people, like Tony. Phil tends toward peripheral touches -- hand, shoulder, knee, etc. -- rather than full-on hugs. But he'll hug or cuddle someone who is falling apart on him.

>> what kind of reaction/response could one offer without tripping past his comfort zone? <<

Phil does well with casual social touches such as pats and handshakes.

>> Jarvis, frankly, is such a difficult network of sensory input to imagine, that a "hug" for him becomes a totally different manifestation. <<

JARVIS perceives the world through many layers, because the tower has a lot of different sensors and he is networked with all of those. This is one reason why JARVIS gets antsy if he can't find someone, because he's intricately aware of his people most of the time, and actually wrapped around them in the tower. So finding a more deliberate route of social touch is a little challenging. Some of the Avengers wind up petting JARVIS by reaching for nearby bits of technology. They haven't quite gotten to hugs yet, but that's definitely something I want to explore.

On the other hoof, JARVIS is adept at adjusting the environmental controls. Where a human might wrap a warm blanket around an upset friend and hug them, JARVIS can turn up the air temperature or turn on the heating in a bed, lower the lights, etc. It's not the exact same gesture, but it can have a similar effect and is motivated by the same kind of concern.

>> So, where exactly do these two expressions meet... and mean the SAME thing? <<

I think the biggest overlaps are verbal and service ones, which is why you see JARVIS talking to Phil more and taking care of him more, now that they're becoming closer.

>> Fortunately for them, they both tend toward verbal interaction as a first response, so they'll understand and accept both more precision and less, when dealing with each other. <<

Yes, that's true.

>> Words, inflections, the odd vocalization when tired or amused or enjoying something, can carry the same intent as a "hug". <<

Based on canon, JARVIS conveys a tremendous amount of emotional information with his voice. He pretty much uses it the same way people do their facial expressions. If you pay very close attention, you'll notice subtle changes in pronunciation as well as tonal changes that match people's emotions. Somehow or other, JARVIS has figured out "X emotion inspires Y expression which produces Z sound pattern," and then incorporated that into his speech synthesizer.

>> I'm as eager to read about HOW they work these details out as I am confident that they will manage to do so. <<

Yay! That interests me too.

>> Fortunately for the readers, that means MORE words, which means MORE story. <<

What you get in this story is primarily the mental shift in Phil as he realizes the true nature of JARVIS, and the beginnings of mutual respect and affection as they start working together consciously. The actual relationship development between JARVIS and the Avengers is spread across the entire series. The better JARVIS comes to know them as individuals, their tastes and needs, the more he reveals of himself and the more different interactions he evolves with each of them. Conversely, the more he shows of himself, the more intrigued the Avengers become as they learn who he really is and what they have in common. So they reach out to JARVIS in different ways, each coming from their own area of expertise.

From:

siliconshaman

Seconding all the stuff above...

Funny story about the prototype shield appearing in the movie. According to RDJ himself, it was he who found a prop early version of the shield under construction in the props department, and just snuck it into the set because he figured, well of course Howard Stark built it, and why wouldn't Tony have it lying around in his basement?!

Given that RDJ had a habit of improvising and going off-script at random, and of course the actor playing Phil had no idea what he was handling.. it just happened.

Point to remember is, RDJ is self-confessed massive comics book geek and has loved Ironman from childhood. So, he knew what he was doing...

[I'd love to link to the article, but the page is 404 now.]

Edited Date: 2014-03-10 10:52 am (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Seconding all the stuff above... <<

Thanks.

>> Funny story about the prototype shield appearing in the movie. According to RDJ himself, it was he who found a prop early version of the shield under construction in the props department, and just snuck it into the set because he figured, well of course Howard Stark built it, and why wouldn't Tony have it lying around in his basement?! <<

Well reasoned.

>> Given that RDJ had a habit of improvising and going off-script at random, and of course the actor playing Phil had no idea what he was handling.. it just happened. <<

Some of the best moments in film come from things like that. Indiana Jones shooting the swordsman was another example.

>> Point to remember is, RDJ is self-confessed massive comics book geek and has loved Ironman from childhood. So, he knew what he was doing... <<

He certainly did an effective job of channeling Tony Stark. I think it shows the most in the scenes where he's interacting with the holograms.

From:

siberian_skys

This story just keeps getting better and better. I love that Phil is trying his best for Tony. Tony doesn't get enough love, because of his, at times, difficult personality.

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

And most of it currently is learned. Which isn't to say he's not honestly Not For All Tastes.

Phil is better at not expecting Z when X and Y aren't even plotted. As a handler of a superior water, he knows more than would be fair to expect from random selection, such as Pepper or Rhodey. Steve normally would have the curiosity and compassion though not the research to do better than he does.

From:

From:

ysabetwordsmith - Date: 2014-04-14 09:33 pm (UTC) - Expand

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> This story just keeps getting better and better. <<

Yay! I'm happy to hear that.

>> I love that Phil is trying his best for Tony. Tony doesn't get enough love, because of his, at times, difficult personality. <<

Yes, that's true. I think that Phil is a great handler partly because he sees the potential in everyone, and the flaws, and where to press to make improvements. Then he has the patience to see it through, and not give up on people just because they're rough at the moment. After all, he brought in Hawkeye and Black Widow. That took some serious work.

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

People aren't Gordian knots without deliberation.

Re: Thank you!

From:

ysabetwordsmith - Date: 2014-03-16 06:58 pm (UTC) - Expand

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

Phil is _wiped_; that's one crop circle mound of breadcrumbs.

Steve and Tony don't hate each other. They are napalm and piss during much of the movie, and a good amount of that is not liking their selves they see reflected in each other. Tony wanted, as children do, to be a hero, and that was very fraught Captain America. He's opened that scab, but to be confronted with Actual Captain America?! Twisted a bayonet, much?

Phil is set up as not trying to be a hero, just doing his job. His job however includes being a BAMF, when called for, and sometimes doing it because it's right but not part of his job. Bag of flour.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Phil is _wiped_; that's one crop circle mound of breadcrumbs. <<

Too true. Phil is on his last spoon here.

>> Steve and Tony don't hate each other. <<

True, but that's how it feels to Phil, and probably also to Steve and Tony. They don't all have the emotional fluency to distinguish nuances of negativity and source. Steve may usually be able to tell the difference between hate and irritation -- and he's not inclined to hate anyone, really -- but at this stage he's emotionally limping so much that it's hard for him to manage his usual level of social competence.

>> They are napalm and piss during much of the movie, and a good amount of that is not liking their selves they see reflected in each other. <<

That, plus they're also dealing with damage done to them by other people in a way that causes their teammate to land right on the sore spots.

>> Tony wanted, as children do, to be a hero, and that was very fraught Captain America. He's opened that scab, but to be confronted with Actual Captain America?! Twisted a bayonet, much? <<

Exactly. When a child has been deprived of parental love and support, and unfairly compared to an unattainable role model, there is no way that meeting that model could possibly avoid hurting people. It isn't the fault of Steve or Tony, but it was bound to go off as soon as they met. Even if Phil had been able to give them both more careful advance preparation, and buffer the initial contact, it would't have done more than take the edge off.

>> Phil is set up as not trying to be a hero, just doing his job. <<

True. Honestly, Steve is that way too.

>> His job however includes being a BAMF, when called for, and sometimes doing it because it's right but not part of his job. <<

Heh, yeah.

>> Bag of flour. <<

I love that motif. It's not the object that's dangerous, but the person. I'm keeping an eye out in case I ever find an opportunity to mention the bag of flour, because I have an unusual interpretation for it -- there's actually something epic that can be done with flour, that most people don't know about.

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

A commemorative spoon, at that.

Yeah, Bucky's plummet, kissing his own ass goodbye, the debacle and the isolation games... How many times can you kick a man's knee?

See, Steve reading Tony having a bonding moment with Bruce as another dismissal.

Even if Phil had been able to give them both more careful advance preparation, and buffer the initial contact, it would't have done more than take the edge off.

Yeah, toddler vs glass-top coffee table.

Grain-elevator?

Re: Yes...

From:

ysabetwordsmith - Date: 2014-03-13 03:50 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: Yes...

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart - Date: 2014-03-13 04:19 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: Yes...

From:

ysabetwordsmith - Date: 2014-03-13 04:52 am (UTC) - Expand

Bucky sez:

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart - Date: 2014-03-13 05:27 am (UTC) - Expand

From: (Anonymous)

Okay, Phil, you really need a good night's sleep and a few cups of coffee if you still think that's the security system. What kind of security system/search engine cares about people's relationships or understands the importance of "reclaim[ing] what has been lost"? JARVIS can't really give any bigger hints here.

I wish I had artistic skills, because I desperately want to see the Polaroid of little!Tony in his homemade Captain America jammies. That's an adorable visual.

Meg

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Okay, Phil, you really need a good night's sleep and a few cups of coffee if you still think that's the security system. <<

Yes, he does. Phil's kind of fried in this scene.

>> What kind of security system/search engine cares about people's relationships or understands the importance of "reclaim[ing] what has been lost"? JARVIS can't really give any bigger hints here. <<

Sooth. Some of this will come up in later installments, as Phil thinks back on what has happened and what it means.

>> I wish I had artistic skills, because I desperately want to see the Polaroid of little!Tony in his homemade Captain America jammies. That's an adorable visual. <<

I'm glad you liked that so much. I have added it to the list of photogenic scenes, in case I ever attract any artist fans. So far, alas, no luck.

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

I don't know about Polaroids left 'wild' but ones put in the sticky photo albums can dry out and flinder.

Signs you might be an engineer.

Tape. Verb, noun, it's your go to in thousands of ways.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> I don't know about Polaroids left 'wild' but ones put in the sticky photo albums can dry out and flinder. <<

Both can break down, although some storage methods are more secure than others.

>> Signs you might be an engineer. <<

Heh. Yeah.

>> Tape. Verb, noun, it's your go to in thousands of ways. <<

*laugh* I imagine that Tony was trying to make things and fix things about the time he became self-mobile.

From:

librarygeek

I was wondering if you had Internet or power problems again. No "Hairpins" part 10 yet?

JARVIS, can you locate the file and upload, please? We all want to know you're functioning! ;)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

It's up now:
http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/9700953.html

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