Story: "Dolls and Guys" (Part 2 of 13)
Mar. 7th, 2013 12:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story is a sequel to "Love Is for Children" and "Eggshells."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, JARVIS, Betty Ross, General Ross.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: No standard warnings apply.
Summary: Phil Coulson finally talks Betty Ross into letting him visit. General Ross is not pleased, but is no match for the opposition. Betty decides to take refuge with the Avengers ... and the interpersonal dynamics get complicated.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Past abuse. Verbal hostility. Angst. Control issues. Hurt/comfort. Non-sexual ageplay. Fluff. Cuteness. Toys and games. Teambuilding. Personal growth. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. General Ross' A+ parenting. Making up for lost time. 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.
"Dolls and Guys" Part 2
Thaddeus Ross looked like he'd been hit in the gut not with words but with a fist. Or perhaps a knife. He had turned a shade of pale that would have alarmed Phil, if Phil had cared one whit about the man's condition. As he watched, the general went limp in Tony's grasp. Tony wrinkled his nose and let go, allowing Ross to slump to the floor like a sack of garbage. A SHIELD-issue zip tie bound both wrists, and Tony must have moved fast indeed to slip that into place before dropping him. Then he bent down and did the ankles too.
"And you know what else? The Incredible Hulk is better company than you!" Betty snarled over her shoulder. Then she stormed out the door.
General Ross sobbed into the carpet. Tony fished out his Starkphone and shot a quick video, saying, "Oh yeah, Bruce will want to see this."
"He's not actually as vindictive as you are, Tony," Phil reminded him as they went after Betty.
"Yeah, no, not when it comes to himself. But when it comes to appreciating Betty standing up to her old man? That, he'll want to see," Tony said with a tight nod.
Phil looked at Tony, frowning a little. Tony made a token effort at straightening his suit and sunglasses, then hurried after Betty. Something seemed ... off. Phil shook his head. Whatever it was, either it would come clear or he could ask Tony back at the tower.
"Which way are we going?" Betty asked.
"Ground transport is parked in the alley not far from here. We're taking my private jet home," Tony said.
"Thank you both for coming to meet me," Betty said. "I didn't want to commit to leaving until you actually made it here. My ... General Ross tends to freak out over that. I've had to call off several plans, just to keep him from hurting other people who tried to help me. I figured if you made it here, you might actually be able to handle him."
"Well, rescuing damsels in distress is part of the job description," Tony said with a smile, but it was his public smile, all shallow flash and no substance. Phil's frown deepened another notch.
Betty just snorted. "I'm a research scientist, not a damsel," she said tartly.
"Fair point," Phil agreed. No wonder Bruce liked her so much. Phil could scarcely imagine what marvelous inventions might come from the three of them working together in Tony's lab space.
By the time they reached the jet, Betty had started to relax, finally believing that their efforts had indeed removed General Ross from her life. "Wow, this is fancy," she said as she settled into the deep padding of the seat.
"Thanks," Tony said. The sunglasses hid his eyes, but the rest of his face had a taut look. His mouth pressed into a thin line.
"Has anyone told Bruce yet that I'm coming?" Betty asked. "Or should I call him now?"
"No," Phil said. "I'll call him when we reach Avengers Tower. If he gets more than a couple minutes of warning, he'll work himself into a lather, and that's no good for him or anyone else."
Betty sighed. "Good point."
"Speaking of phones, here, make sure Bruce sees this, would you?" Tony said. He passed Phil his Starkphone. One knee quivered faintly, just a hint of repressed jittering.
The more Phil saw of Tony, the more he worried. Tony giving up any piece of technology was a bad sign. Phil pocketed Tony's phone. Then he glanced at Betty. She was ignoring them, having just discovered the tablet computer that Tony had set for browsing JSTOR.
"Tony, are you okay?" Phil asked quietly.
Tony licked his lips. "No," he said in a wavering tone. "No, Uncle Phil, I'm not okay."
Oh shit, Phil thought, because outside of game night that had become something of a code phrase for the kind of trouble that required support. Did Ross manage to injure him after all, and he's been hiding it up to now?
Betty chose that inopportune moment to emerge from JSTOR. "Problem?" she asked.
"Tony and I just need to discuss something in private," Phil said smoothly. "Will you be all right by yourself for a few minutes? I know it's been a rough day for you."
"I have had much worse days," Betty said. "Nobody's bleeding and nothing's blowing up, so I'm good." With that she went back to her tablet. It was a little disturbing how high she set her bars for a bad day, given that she wasn't actually a superhero herself, because that height was about par for the team.
As they stood up, Phil slipped an arm around Tony's waist as unobtrusively as possible. Tony leaned into him. There wasn't much privacy to be had in the small passenger compartment of the jet. They simply moved to the seats farthest away from where Betty sat.
"How badly are you wounded, Tony?" Phil asked.
Tony shook his head. "It's not -- not that," he said. "Nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises. Ross is more bark than bite in a real fight." His voice skipped and rasped like a scratched record. "It was. What she said. To him." Tony was honestly shaking now.
"I'm listening," Phil said. He rubbed a hand up and down Tony's back, trying to soothe the shudders.
"I knew -- she needed to say it. Bad things, to him, about him. I just," Tony said, struggling for air past the incipient sobs. "Didn't think -- it would be -- quite so close." He tried to slow his breathing but just wound up gasping again. "Held it together as long as I could. Had to. Not safe outside. Safe, now?" His tone turned pleading.
"It's safe," Phil assured him. "We're in your jet, headed home. Let it out if you need to." Despite the miserable timing, Phil felt both impressed and grateful that Tony had admitted his distress rather than wait all the way to the tower and possibly hurt himself worse by containing the pressure that long. Maybe they could process whatever the problem was before Betty started wondering what was up. If not, well, Phil would deal with her as necessary.
* * *
Notes:
Escaping an abusive relationship typically requires planning, and doesn't always work on the first attempt. There are tips for helping people cope or escape.
People often hide their real emotions and put on a fake front, especially if they are public figures. In unsafe situations, this can be an effective defense mechanism. However, it tends to undermine emotional literacy, impairing both interpersonal relationships and intrapersonal awareness. Unexpressed feelings, positive or negative, can cause a lot of internal tension.
Worrying builds stress and, along with anxiety, it can affect biochemistry. In Bruce's case this can have Hulk-shaped consequences. There are ways to reduce worrying.
JSTOR is an archive site for scholarly journals across multiple disciplines.
Admitting you need help can be difficult. The stronger and more powerful a person, the harder it can be to reach out for assistance. It's also harder for people who have been betrayed. There are tips for how to ask for help and for helping a friend in need.
[To be continued in Part 3 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, JARVIS, Betty Ross, General Ross.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: No standard warnings apply.
Summary: Phil Coulson finally talks Betty Ross into letting him visit. General Ross is not pleased, but is no match for the opposition. Betty decides to take refuge with the Avengers ... and the interpersonal dynamics get complicated.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Past abuse. Verbal hostility. Angst. Control issues. Hurt/comfort. Non-sexual ageplay. Fluff. Cuteness. Toys and games. Teambuilding. Personal growth. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. General Ross' A+ parenting. Making up for lost time. 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.
"Dolls and Guys" Part 2
Thaddeus Ross looked like he'd been hit in the gut not with words but with a fist. Or perhaps a knife. He had turned a shade of pale that would have alarmed Phil, if Phil had cared one whit about the man's condition. As he watched, the general went limp in Tony's grasp. Tony wrinkled his nose and let go, allowing Ross to slump to the floor like a sack of garbage. A SHIELD-issue zip tie bound both wrists, and Tony must have moved fast indeed to slip that into place before dropping him. Then he bent down and did the ankles too.
"And you know what else? The Incredible Hulk is better company than you!" Betty snarled over her shoulder. Then she stormed out the door.
General Ross sobbed into the carpet. Tony fished out his Starkphone and shot a quick video, saying, "Oh yeah, Bruce will want to see this."
"He's not actually as vindictive as you are, Tony," Phil reminded him as they went after Betty.
"Yeah, no, not when it comes to himself. But when it comes to appreciating Betty standing up to her old man? That, he'll want to see," Tony said with a tight nod.
Phil looked at Tony, frowning a little. Tony made a token effort at straightening his suit and sunglasses, then hurried after Betty. Something seemed ... off. Phil shook his head. Whatever it was, either it would come clear or he could ask Tony back at the tower.
"Which way are we going?" Betty asked.
"Ground transport is parked in the alley not far from here. We're taking my private jet home," Tony said.
"Thank you both for coming to meet me," Betty said. "I didn't want to commit to leaving until you actually made it here. My ... General Ross tends to freak out over that. I've had to call off several plans, just to keep him from hurting other people who tried to help me. I figured if you made it here, you might actually be able to handle him."
"Well, rescuing damsels in distress is part of the job description," Tony said with a smile, but it was his public smile, all shallow flash and no substance. Phil's frown deepened another notch.
Betty just snorted. "I'm a research scientist, not a damsel," she said tartly.
"Fair point," Phil agreed. No wonder Bruce liked her so much. Phil could scarcely imagine what marvelous inventions might come from the three of them working together in Tony's lab space.
By the time they reached the jet, Betty had started to relax, finally believing that their efforts had indeed removed General Ross from her life. "Wow, this is fancy," she said as she settled into the deep padding of the seat.
"Thanks," Tony said. The sunglasses hid his eyes, but the rest of his face had a taut look. His mouth pressed into a thin line.
"Has anyone told Bruce yet that I'm coming?" Betty asked. "Or should I call him now?"
"No," Phil said. "I'll call him when we reach Avengers Tower. If he gets more than a couple minutes of warning, he'll work himself into a lather, and that's no good for him or anyone else."
Betty sighed. "Good point."
"Speaking of phones, here, make sure Bruce sees this, would you?" Tony said. He passed Phil his Starkphone. One knee quivered faintly, just a hint of repressed jittering.
The more Phil saw of Tony, the more he worried. Tony giving up any piece of technology was a bad sign. Phil pocketed Tony's phone. Then he glanced at Betty. She was ignoring them, having just discovered the tablet computer that Tony had set for browsing JSTOR.
"Tony, are you okay?" Phil asked quietly.
Tony licked his lips. "No," he said in a wavering tone. "No, Uncle Phil, I'm not okay."
Oh shit, Phil thought, because outside of game night that had become something of a code phrase for the kind of trouble that required support. Did Ross manage to injure him after all, and he's been hiding it up to now?
Betty chose that inopportune moment to emerge from JSTOR. "Problem?" she asked.
"Tony and I just need to discuss something in private," Phil said smoothly. "Will you be all right by yourself for a few minutes? I know it's been a rough day for you."
"I have had much worse days," Betty said. "Nobody's bleeding and nothing's blowing up, so I'm good." With that she went back to her tablet. It was a little disturbing how high she set her bars for a bad day, given that she wasn't actually a superhero herself, because that height was about par for the team.
As they stood up, Phil slipped an arm around Tony's waist as unobtrusively as possible. Tony leaned into him. There wasn't much privacy to be had in the small passenger compartment of the jet. They simply moved to the seats farthest away from where Betty sat.
"How badly are you wounded, Tony?" Phil asked.
Tony shook his head. "It's not -- not that," he said. "Nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises. Ross is more bark than bite in a real fight." His voice skipped and rasped like a scratched record. "It was. What she said. To him." Tony was honestly shaking now.
"I'm listening," Phil said. He rubbed a hand up and down Tony's back, trying to soothe the shudders.
"I knew -- she needed to say it. Bad things, to him, about him. I just," Tony said, struggling for air past the incipient sobs. "Didn't think -- it would be -- quite so close." He tried to slow his breathing but just wound up gasping again. "Held it together as long as I could. Had to. Not safe outside. Safe, now?" His tone turned pleading.
"It's safe," Phil assured him. "We're in your jet, headed home. Let it out if you need to." Despite the miserable timing, Phil felt both impressed and grateful that Tony had admitted his distress rather than wait all the way to the tower and possibly hurt himself worse by containing the pressure that long. Maybe they could process whatever the problem was before Betty started wondering what was up. If not, well, Phil would deal with her as necessary.
* * *
Notes:
Escaping an abusive relationship typically requires planning, and doesn't always work on the first attempt. There are tips for helping people cope or escape.
People often hide their real emotions and put on a fake front, especially if they are public figures. In unsafe situations, this can be an effective defense mechanism. However, it tends to undermine emotional literacy, impairing both interpersonal relationships and intrapersonal awareness. Unexpressed feelings, positive or negative, can cause a lot of internal tension.
Worrying builds stress and, along with anxiety, it can affect biochemistry. In Bruce's case this can have Hulk-shaped consequences. There are ways to reduce worrying.
JSTOR is an archive site for scholarly journals across multiple disciplines.
Admitting you need help can be difficult. The stronger and more powerful a person, the harder it can be to reach out for assistance. It's also harder for people who have been betrayed. There are tips for how to ask for help and for helping a friend in need.
[To be continued in Part 3 ...]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-07 09:30 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2013-03-07 09:44 am (UTC)Thank you!
>>I some how missed the posting of part one because, uh, reasons.<<
*facepalm* Sorry I forgot the link to that, it's there now.
>> Betty's such a spitfire and I can see how damn close her feelings for the General would mirror Tony's feelings for his father. <<
Yeah, there is about to be aaaaannnngst over that. She's a mirror for Tony in some ways, for Bruce in other ways.
>>I truly love this series and can't wait for more. Would you mind messaging me about update like you did for Eggshells?<<
I'll try to remember. The idea is to update daily, as before, so if one or the other of us misses a bit it should be easy for you to catch up. I've got the whole story in the can again.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-07 08:29 pm (UTC)You're welcome!
Date: 2013-03-07 08:36 pm (UTC)Yep. He's about to come apart at the seams.
>> I though it's awesome that he was able to ask "Uncle Phil" for help, though. It shows how far he's come and the trust between them. Love that.<<
Precisely. The characters are just getting to the stage where they can use what they've learned at home when they need it outside.
>> Thanks for sharing the new parts!<<
I'm glad you're enjoying them.