Story: "Birthday Girl" (Part 8 of 18)
Apr. 30th, 2013 12:41 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," "Splash," and "Coming Around."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse. Current environment is safe.
Summary: Doombots crash a beautiful spring day in the park. The Avengers clean up the mess. This includes Natasha's rather confused longing for something she never had: a birthday party.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. Friendship. Confusion. Hulk is a genius too. Fluff. Making up for lost time. Birthday. Cultural traditions. Games. Gifts. Cake. The cake is never a lie! Tickling. Trust issues. Safety and security. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Personal growth. Family of choice.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7. Skip to Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18.
"Birthday Girl" Part 8
Natasha scrubbed a hand across her face in a futile effort to hide the tears. Then her fingers strayed to the faint scar just above her right wrist, where Hawkeye's arrow had pinned her arm to a wall to prevent Black Widow from killing him. It was fading, washed away by the steady tide of her enhanced body. But they all remembered what it meant.
Sorry, sir, I know SHIELD ordered a kill. I made a different call. Phil could still hear the determination in Hawkeye's tone. Sometimes being one of the good guys came down to knowing exactly when to disobey orders.
"I think -- I think I'd like that for my birthday. You gave me a whole new life that day," Natasha said to Clint.
"That was the idea," Clint said warmly, "just paying it forward." Phil never stopped feeling grateful that Clint had learned the lesson well enough to pass it along at need.
Natasha paused, straightening her back, though Phil had not noticed the subtle slump in it. Then she said, in the most fragile voice Phil had ever heard from her, "Will you come to my party, Clint?"
The gallant archer took her hand and bowed over it ever so slightly. "I would be honored," Clint said in a formal tone. His graceful response reminded Phil that Clint had always fancied himself after Robin Hood.
"I'll make the arrangements," Phil said. The date wasn't on a Saturday, but the Fantastic Four owed the Avengers another favor for the assist with Dr. Doom today.
"Thank you, Phil," said Clint. He ushered his sister to bed.
Phil tiptoed back into the common room. The viewscreen was dark. Shadows draped the walls except for the gleam of tiny base lights here and there along the edges of the floor. Phil could hear Steve's deep, even breathing on the couch. Steve healed fast, but sometimes it took a lot out of him.
Bruce was whimpering in his sleep, caught in a nightmare. Phil hurried to his side. He patted Bruce's hands, stroked his face, and ran a hand through the dark hair. The distressed noises faded away. Gradually the skin contact soothed Bruce back into a more restful state.
Phil breathed a sigh of relief. Not long after moving into the tower, Bruce had hulked out a few times due to nightmares or night terrors. At least now I can settle him down so he can get some decent sleep, Phil thought. Bruce needs all the rest he can get after a transformation.
Then Phil spread some floor cushions between the couch and the loveseat, making a bed for himself so that he could stay close to the two men in case they needed him during the night. His Starkphone lit as he took it out of his pocket.
Sleep if you're tired, Phil. I have the watch, JARVIS wrote.
Phil lay down and pulled a blanket over himself. He was a master spy. He could keep watch even in his sleep.
But it was so nice that he didn't have to, that he had someone else to rely on to keep their location secure.
* * *
Notes:
Disobeying orders is a challenging decision. People are advised to disobey illegal and/or immoral orders. There is rarely much protection either way; damned if you do, damned if you don't, so you might as well make the decision that you can live with. In support of Hawkeye's decision, canon generally indicates that Black Widow was or appeared to be young when he was ordered to kill her, and definitely was a small child when kidnapped by the Red Room, such that advisories regarding child soldiers apply. Also worth considering are the stages of moral development; most people do what they are told, or what others are doing, but toward the top end is reliance on a personal, well-thought-out code of honor.
Paying it forward means doing something good for someone, because somebody else did you a favor earlier. This can apply to anything, but especially to cases where it's impossible to repay the good deed in kind to the same person. Look for opportunities to pay it forward.
Nightmares and night terrors are two kinds of sleep disturbances. They often occur due to stress. If someone has a nightmare, provide loving comfort. There is some debate over whether or not to wake a person from a nightmare. If it doesn't seem too bad (whimpering, twitching) then sometimes a gentle touch will dispel the dream without waking the sleeper. If it's really bad (screaming, thrashing) then it's probably wise to try waking them. Bruce in particular needs to avoid getting too scared, or else Hulk has to come deal with it. Sleep disturbances are common symptoms of PTSD. All the Avengers have nightmares; I think Bruce is the only one with night terrors too. There are tips for dealing with nightmares.
Hypervigilance is a symptom of PTSD and other conditions. All the Avengers, to varying degrees, find it difficult to relax and feel safe, due to their rough pasts and high-risk profession. A sentient, friendly, and fiercely protective home security system helps tremendously; they are all sleeping better with JARVIS always on watch.
[To be continued in Part 9 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse. Current environment is safe.
Summary: Doombots crash a beautiful spring day in the park. The Avengers clean up the mess. This includes Natasha's rather confused longing for something she never had: a birthday party.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. Friendship. Confusion. Hulk is a genius too. Fluff. Making up for lost time. Birthday. Cultural traditions. Games. Gifts. Cake. The cake is never a lie! Tickling. Trust issues. Safety and security. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Personal growth. Family of choice.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7. Skip to Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18.
"Birthday Girl" Part 8
Natasha scrubbed a hand across her face in a futile effort to hide the tears. Then her fingers strayed to the faint scar just above her right wrist, where Hawkeye's arrow had pinned her arm to a wall to prevent Black Widow from killing him. It was fading, washed away by the steady tide of her enhanced body. But they all remembered what it meant.
Sorry, sir, I know SHIELD ordered a kill. I made a different call. Phil could still hear the determination in Hawkeye's tone. Sometimes being one of the good guys came down to knowing exactly when to disobey orders.
"I think -- I think I'd like that for my birthday. You gave me a whole new life that day," Natasha said to Clint.
"That was the idea," Clint said warmly, "just paying it forward." Phil never stopped feeling grateful that Clint had learned the lesson well enough to pass it along at need.
Natasha paused, straightening her back, though Phil had not noticed the subtle slump in it. Then she said, in the most fragile voice Phil had ever heard from her, "Will you come to my party, Clint?"
The gallant archer took her hand and bowed over it ever so slightly. "I would be honored," Clint said in a formal tone. His graceful response reminded Phil that Clint had always fancied himself after Robin Hood.
"I'll make the arrangements," Phil said. The date wasn't on a Saturday, but the Fantastic Four owed the Avengers another favor for the assist with Dr. Doom today.
"Thank you, Phil," said Clint. He ushered his sister to bed.
Phil tiptoed back into the common room. The viewscreen was dark. Shadows draped the walls except for the gleam of tiny base lights here and there along the edges of the floor. Phil could hear Steve's deep, even breathing on the couch. Steve healed fast, but sometimes it took a lot out of him.
Bruce was whimpering in his sleep, caught in a nightmare. Phil hurried to his side. He patted Bruce's hands, stroked his face, and ran a hand through the dark hair. The distressed noises faded away. Gradually the skin contact soothed Bruce back into a more restful state.
Phil breathed a sigh of relief. Not long after moving into the tower, Bruce had hulked out a few times due to nightmares or night terrors. At least now I can settle him down so he can get some decent sleep, Phil thought. Bruce needs all the rest he can get after a transformation.
Then Phil spread some floor cushions between the couch and the loveseat, making a bed for himself so that he could stay close to the two men in case they needed him during the night. His Starkphone lit as he took it out of his pocket.
Sleep if you're tired, Phil. I have the watch, JARVIS wrote.
Phil lay down and pulled a blanket over himself. He was a master spy. He could keep watch even in his sleep.
But it was so nice that he didn't have to, that he had someone else to rely on to keep their location secure.
* * *
Notes:
Disobeying orders is a challenging decision. People are advised to disobey illegal and/or immoral orders. There is rarely much protection either way; damned if you do, damned if you don't, so you might as well make the decision that you can live with. In support of Hawkeye's decision, canon generally indicates that Black Widow was or appeared to be young when he was ordered to kill her, and definitely was a small child when kidnapped by the Red Room, such that advisories regarding child soldiers apply. Also worth considering are the stages of moral development; most people do what they are told, or what others are doing, but toward the top end is reliance on a personal, well-thought-out code of honor.
Paying it forward means doing something good for someone, because somebody else did you a favor earlier. This can apply to anything, but especially to cases where it's impossible to repay the good deed in kind to the same person. Look for opportunities to pay it forward.
Nightmares and night terrors are two kinds of sleep disturbances. They often occur due to stress. If someone has a nightmare, provide loving comfort. There is some debate over whether or not to wake a person from a nightmare. If it doesn't seem too bad (whimpering, twitching) then sometimes a gentle touch will dispel the dream without waking the sleeper. If it's really bad (screaming, thrashing) then it's probably wise to try waking them. Bruce in particular needs to avoid getting too scared, or else Hulk has to come deal with it. Sleep disturbances are common symptoms of PTSD. All the Avengers have nightmares; I think Bruce is the only one with night terrors too. There are tips for dealing with nightmares.
Hypervigilance is a symptom of PTSD and other conditions. All the Avengers, to varying degrees, find it difficult to relax and feel safe, due to their rough pasts and high-risk profession. A sentient, friendly, and fiercely protective home security system helps tremendously; they are all sleeping better with JARVIS always on watch.
[To be continued in Part 9 ...]
Thank you!
Date: 2013-04-30 06:17 pm (UTC)