![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Hairpins," "Blended," "Am I Not," "Unworthy," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Duende," "Saudades," "Querencia," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," "Hide and Seek," "Kernel Error," "Happy Hour," "Green Eggs and Hulk,""kintsukuroi," "Little and Broken, but Still Good," "Byzantine Perplexities," "Up the Water Spout," "The Life of the Dead," "What It Means to Me," "If They Could Just Stay Little," "Anahata," "When the Wheels Come Off," "Against His Own Shield," "Coming in from the Cold: Saturday: Building Towers," "Coming in from the Cold: Sunday: Shaking Foundations," "Coming in from the Cold: Monday: Memorial Day," "Coming in from the Cold: Tuesday: Facing Fears," "Coming in from the Cold: Wednesday: Coping Techniques," "Coming in from the Cold: Thursday: Digging for Answers," "Coming in from the Cold: Friday: Bug Hunt," "Coming in from the Cold: Saturday: Revisiting the Past," "What Little Boys Are Made Of," "Rotten Fruit," "Trying to Find Prui," "Life in Quicktime," "Sunday Dinner," "Cafuné," "Fatherboards and Other F-words," "The Artists Among Us," "Keep the Homefires Burning," "Their Old Familiar Carols Play," "Fluffy," "A Leg Up," "Wabbit Season," and "A Painful Process."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Clint Barton, Maria Hill, Nick Fury, Jasper Sitwell, James Rhodes, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Hulk.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Guns, Food, Bugs & Insects, Triggers, Flashbacks, Panic Attacks, Hurt/Comfort.
Summary: Phil, Steve, Bucky, and Clint visit SHIELD to work with the new recruits. Later that evening, an unexpected trigger throws Bucky into a panic attack.
Notes: Teamwork, Training, Games, Carrying, No Sex, Intimacy, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Friendship, Team as Family, Avengers Family, Food, #coulsonlives.
Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12.
"Coming in from the Cold: Sunday: Thanks for Taking Care of Me, Tiny" Part 9
Hulk's acceptance of the nickname was an unexpected bit of progress, because Bruce-and-Hulk had such a complicated background, especially with family. That's something Bucky and Steve excelled at, though. Of all the Avengers, they probably had the healthiest childhood, despite the hardships of the time. That gave them skills they can share with their teammates, which opened up whole new opportunities.
"Well done," Phil said. He was so proud of them all. They never stopped trying, no matter how bad their past was.
"Yeah, nicknames can help," Steve said. "They remind you that people care enough to create a tie like that, give it a name. Even the silly ones. Maybe especially the silly ones."
Hulk rumbled approval. Then he looked at Phil. "Bruce now?" he said.
"Whenever you're ready," Phil said. "You don't have to leave until you feel like it. Is Bruce pushing at you?"
"No." Hulk shook his head. "Worried."
"About me?" Bucky said, startled. "After I went wild?"
"Uh huh," Hulk said.
"Well, I'll talk to him whenever he comes back," Bucky said. "I didn't really mean to ... do whatever. I just wasn't thinking straight."
"It happens," Steve said.
"Catch Bruce?" Hulk said, turning to Phil again.
"Yes, of course," Phil said. He moved around to where he could put an arm behind Hulk's back.
A ripple of motion, and then Bruce slumped into Phil's grasp. He floundered upright almost immediately, though.
"Bucky? How're you?" Bruce said, trying to see over the arm of the couch.
"I'm ... here," Bucky said. "Guess that's an improvement."
"Yeah," Bruce said. "This is a safe place."
"It sure is," Steve said. "We'll keep you safe."
Bucky sighed and looked away. "Was until I got here, maybe," he said. "Sorry I flipped out and hurt you, Bruce."
"You didn't actually hurt me, Bucky," said Bruce. "Hulk took care of everything."
"Yeah, I remember ... some of that," Bucky said. "I'm glad he stopped me from really hurting you. I wasn't ... it wasn't you I was seeing."
"I got that impression," Bruce said dryly.
"I just saw the lab coats from the corner of my eye, and then someone grabbed me --" Bucky rubbed his shoulder.
"Sorry about that," Bruce said. "I should never have worn a white coat out of the lab, we just got excited and forgot about the rule."
"Perhaps an amendment," JARVIS suggested. "Make it a requirement instead of a suggestion, and I can remind anyone who forgets."
"Good idea, pass that to Tony and if he approves, make it so," Bruce said.
Which was to say, JARVIS could simply lock the door until whoever was balking gave up and took off the coat, if a simple reminder didn't suffice. Phil didn't expect any trouble from the Avengers -- especially after tonight's ruckus -- but some of the other scientists were headstrong and you never knew what they might get stubborn about. None of them could out-stubborn JARVIS, though.
"That might help," Bucky said. "It's just ... sometimes it feels like the whole world is made of triggers. I never know when one of them will go off." His voice dropped to a guilty whisper. "When I'll go off."
"I never know when I will, either," Bruce said gently. "But it's getting better. It doesn't happen as often as it used to, and when it does, it's not as bad. Today was ... I don't even have a reference for that. An outlier."
"Bruce, Hulk has acted to protect you all along," JARVIS said. "The only thing that is new is how he recognized Bucky's need for protection also. I would consider that a very good sign."
"You've been watching him, haven't you?" Bruce said, grimacing. "Watching us."
"I have adhered to the privacy parameters you set," JARVIS said.
"And yet you talk about the Other Guy like you know how he acts," Bruce said.
"I also have access to footage of Avenger missions," JARVIS said. "I am able to show you examples of Hulk protecting his teammates, should you wish to view them."
"Not right now," Bruce said. "I'm confused enough already."
Phil was impressed by how JARVIS could dance around complicated topics without every lying or betraying anyone's trust. It simply hadn't occurred to Bruce that Hulk might have thought to set different privacy parameters -- or that JARVIS would follow those in addition to Bruce's set.
"I agree with JARVIS," said Phil. "The new part was Hulk recognizing a mistaken attack, and acting to protect Bucky as well as you. That's impressive progress."
"I ... guess I can't really argue with that," Bruce said. "I don't know what to think."
"That's okay," Bucky said. "I don't know either. I thought I was ... not safe exactly, but not that dangerous to my own team. That was scary."
"I punched through the wall," Steve said abruptly.
"You what?" Bucky said, staring at him.
"When I first got here. The alarm. I didn't know what it was. I threw my arm out, and my fist went right through the wall," Steve said.
"Holy shit, Steve," Bucky said. "Were you okay?"
"Yeah. Other than my pride. I felt really embarrassed about it," Steve said, shaking his head.
"I Hulked out and smashed the whole kitchen once," Bruce said quietly. "I woke up in a pile of plaster and banana peels." His voice dropped. "I still don't know why Tony didn't kick me out. He won't even let me leave. I broke his house."
"And that was before we knew that JARVIS is a person too," Steve said.
"I do not process damage the same way you do," JARVIS said. "I was much more concerned about you than the walls. It is easier to repair walls than to repair people."
"Yeah, that's true," Bucky admitted. "People are messy."
"I would not have it any other way," JARVIS assured him. "Life is messy. You are all worth it."
"Thank you, JARVIS," said Phil. "You're worth it too."
"Yeah, but I'm messier than most," Bucky said. "I don't know how to ... fix whatever HYDRA broke in me, so I'm not a threat to the people I care about."
"We're working on that," Bruce said. "Tony and I will get your hardware updated, and that should help."
* * *
Notes:
Worrying too much can cause problems. Here are some tips on how to reduce worrying.
Bucky mentions his aversion to lab coats in "Coming in from the Cold: Thursday: Digging for Answers" Part 7.
Personal boundaries often prove challenging to people who grew up without them, like Bruce. Boundary violations can take a lot of work to fix. Now add in the fact that boundary issues play into almost everything that can go wrong in a relationship. It helps if you understand how to handle resentment and frustration.
The kitchen destruction scene appears in "Blended."
[To be continued in Part 10 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Clint Barton, Maria Hill, Nick Fury, Jasper Sitwell, James Rhodes, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Hulk.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Guns, Food, Bugs & Insects, Triggers, Flashbacks, Panic Attacks, Hurt/Comfort.
Summary: Phil, Steve, Bucky, and Clint visit SHIELD to work with the new recruits. Later that evening, an unexpected trigger throws Bucky into a panic attack.
Notes: Teamwork, Training, Games, Carrying, No Sex, Intimacy, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Friendship, Team as Family, Avengers Family, Food, #coulsonlives.
Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12.
"Coming in from the Cold: Sunday: Thanks for Taking Care of Me, Tiny" Part 9
Hulk's acceptance of the nickname was an unexpected bit of progress, because Bruce-and-Hulk had such a complicated background, especially with family. That's something Bucky and Steve excelled at, though. Of all the Avengers, they probably had the healthiest childhood, despite the hardships of the time. That gave them skills they can share with their teammates, which opened up whole new opportunities.
"Well done," Phil said. He was so proud of them all. They never stopped trying, no matter how bad their past was.
"Yeah, nicknames can help," Steve said. "They remind you that people care enough to create a tie like that, give it a name. Even the silly ones. Maybe especially the silly ones."
Hulk rumbled approval. Then he looked at Phil. "Bruce now?" he said.
"Whenever you're ready," Phil said. "You don't have to leave until you feel like it. Is Bruce pushing at you?"
"No." Hulk shook his head. "Worried."
"About me?" Bucky said, startled. "After I went wild?"
"Uh huh," Hulk said.
"Well, I'll talk to him whenever he comes back," Bucky said. "I didn't really mean to ... do whatever. I just wasn't thinking straight."
"It happens," Steve said.
"Catch Bruce?" Hulk said, turning to Phil again.
"Yes, of course," Phil said. He moved around to where he could put an arm behind Hulk's back.
A ripple of motion, and then Bruce slumped into Phil's grasp. He floundered upright almost immediately, though.
"Bucky? How're you?" Bruce said, trying to see over the arm of the couch.
"I'm ... here," Bucky said. "Guess that's an improvement."
"Yeah," Bruce said. "This is a safe place."
"It sure is," Steve said. "We'll keep you safe."
Bucky sighed and looked away. "Was until I got here, maybe," he said. "Sorry I flipped out and hurt you, Bruce."
"You didn't actually hurt me, Bucky," said Bruce. "Hulk took care of everything."
"Yeah, I remember ... some of that," Bucky said. "I'm glad he stopped me from really hurting you. I wasn't ... it wasn't you I was seeing."
"I got that impression," Bruce said dryly.
"I just saw the lab coats from the corner of my eye, and then someone grabbed me --" Bucky rubbed his shoulder.
"Sorry about that," Bruce said. "I should never have worn a white coat out of the lab, we just got excited and forgot about the rule."
"Perhaps an amendment," JARVIS suggested. "Make it a requirement instead of a suggestion, and I can remind anyone who forgets."
"Good idea, pass that to Tony and if he approves, make it so," Bruce said.
Which was to say, JARVIS could simply lock the door until whoever was balking gave up and took off the coat, if a simple reminder didn't suffice. Phil didn't expect any trouble from the Avengers -- especially after tonight's ruckus -- but some of the other scientists were headstrong and you never knew what they might get stubborn about. None of them could out-stubborn JARVIS, though.
"That might help," Bucky said. "It's just ... sometimes it feels like the whole world is made of triggers. I never know when one of them will go off." His voice dropped to a guilty whisper. "When I'll go off."
"I never know when I will, either," Bruce said gently. "But it's getting better. It doesn't happen as often as it used to, and when it does, it's not as bad. Today was ... I don't even have a reference for that. An outlier."
"Bruce, Hulk has acted to protect you all along," JARVIS said. "The only thing that is new is how he recognized Bucky's need for protection also. I would consider that a very good sign."
"You've been watching him, haven't you?" Bruce said, grimacing. "Watching us."
"I have adhered to the privacy parameters you set," JARVIS said.
"And yet you talk about the Other Guy like you know how he acts," Bruce said.
"I also have access to footage of Avenger missions," JARVIS said. "I am able to show you examples of Hulk protecting his teammates, should you wish to view them."
"Not right now," Bruce said. "I'm confused enough already."
Phil was impressed by how JARVIS could dance around complicated topics without every lying or betraying anyone's trust. It simply hadn't occurred to Bruce that Hulk might have thought to set different privacy parameters -- or that JARVIS would follow those in addition to Bruce's set.
"I agree with JARVIS," said Phil. "The new part was Hulk recognizing a mistaken attack, and acting to protect Bucky as well as you. That's impressive progress."
"I ... guess I can't really argue with that," Bruce said. "I don't know what to think."
"That's okay," Bucky said. "I don't know either. I thought I was ... not safe exactly, but not that dangerous to my own team. That was scary."
"I punched through the wall," Steve said abruptly.
"You what?" Bucky said, staring at him.
"When I first got here. The alarm. I didn't know what it was. I threw my arm out, and my fist went right through the wall," Steve said.
"Holy shit, Steve," Bucky said. "Were you okay?"
"Yeah. Other than my pride. I felt really embarrassed about it," Steve said, shaking his head.
"I Hulked out and smashed the whole kitchen once," Bruce said quietly. "I woke up in a pile of plaster and banana peels." His voice dropped. "I still don't know why Tony didn't kick me out. He won't even let me leave. I broke his house."
"And that was before we knew that JARVIS is a person too," Steve said.
"I do not process damage the same way you do," JARVIS said. "I was much more concerned about you than the walls. It is easier to repair walls than to repair people."
"Yeah, that's true," Bucky admitted. "People are messy."
"I would not have it any other way," JARVIS assured him. "Life is messy. You are all worth it."
"Thank you, JARVIS," said Phil. "You're worth it too."
"Yeah, but I'm messier than most," Bucky said. "I don't know how to ... fix whatever HYDRA broke in me, so I'm not a threat to the people I care about."
"We're working on that," Bruce said. "Tony and I will get your hardware updated, and that should help."
* * *
Notes:
Worrying too much can cause problems. Here are some tips on how to reduce worrying.
Bucky mentions his aversion to lab coats in "Coming in from the Cold: Thursday: Digging for Answers" Part 7.
Personal boundaries often prove challenging to people who grew up without them, like Bruce. Boundary violations can take a lot of work to fix. Now add in the fact that boundary issues play into almost everything that can go wrong in a relationship. It helps if you understand how to handle resentment and frustration.
The kitchen destruction scene appears in "Blended."
[To be continued in Part 10 ...]
(no subject)
Date: 2020-04-14 01:21 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2020-04-14 02:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-04-14 04:17 am (UTC)~A
Thank you!
Date: 2020-04-14 04:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-04-14 02:22 pm (UTC)I'm loving this one - Hulk's gentleness, Bruce's confusion over all of it, JARVIS' careful handling of the privacy issues and unhesitating acknowledgement of Hulk as a person. Bucky's guilt and the whole team pitching for him.
So so good. <3
Thoughts
Date: 2020-04-14 08:17 pm (UTC)My sympathies. Access is still limited here, and we don't know if we'll get full access by Tuesday like we were supposed to. >_<
>> I'm loving this one - Hulk's gentleness, Bruce's confusion over all of it, <<
They'll get the hang of it.
>> JARVIS' careful handling of the privacy issues and unhesitating acknowledgement of Hulk as a person. <<
JARVIS is exquisitely sensitive to those issues, being a digital person.
>>Bucky's guilt and the whole team pitching for him. <<
Yeah, that's hard, but at least he's not alone in having those kinds of problems. It means people can share solutions and support.
>> So so good. <3
Thank you!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-04-14 06:21 pm (UTC)The problem is that since the power source in that arm is "bad" in nature, it might in fact be magical... and that means possible problems dealing with it. Imagine magically-awakened radioactive metal for a battery, for instance. But magic can counter magic. Again, I'd ask Thor for references... or Loki, once he's available.
But in the meantime, it's good to see Bruce not entirely rejecting the evidence regarding Hulk's behavior. Good progress.
Thoughts
Date: 2020-04-14 06:50 pm (UTC)They already have a replacement power source in mind, because Iron Man. ;) It's actually safer to use a miniature arc reactor to power Bucky's arm, because it will be inside a prosthetic device instead of inside his body.
>>The problem is that since the power source in that arm is "bad" in nature, it might in fact be magical... and that means possible problems dealing with it.<<
HYDRA, and later SHIELD, used the Cube as inspiration for energy weapons, batteries, etc. This was a bad idea that causes many problems, but that didn't stop either of them.
>>But in the meantime, it's good to see Bruce not entirely rejecting the evidence regarding Hulk's behavior. Good progress.<<
Yay!