Story: "Hide and Seek" Part 53
Dec. 11th, 2013 12:01 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," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," and "No Winter Lasts Forever."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Virginia "Pepper" Potts.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse, mind control, and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: Bucky has a bad day when his memory won't boot up quite right. This makes other people stressed out too. Attempts to help are partially successful, but then the team dynamics go severely pear-shaped.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Vulgar language. Flangst. Hurt/Comfort. Fear of loss. Friendship. Confusion. Memory loss. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Self-harm. Tony!whump. Tony Stark has a heart. Tony doesn't like being handed things. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Games. Trust issues. Consent. Safety and security. Artificial intelligence. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Communication. Personal growth. Cooking. Americana. Family of choice. Feels. #coulsonlives.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31, Part 32, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38, Part 39, Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43, Part 44, Part 45, Part 46, Part 47, Part 48, Part 49, Part 50, Part 51, Part 52. Skip to Part 55, Part 56.
"Hide and Seek" Part 53
A timer dinged. Bruce pulled a pie out of the upper oven. This one had a solid crust, now baked to perfect golden brown, with a star pricked into the center. Steam billowed up, smelling like fruit and a cozy family afternoon and home. The rich aroma made Phil's mouth water. Then his stomach growled.
Bucky laughed. "Here, have a Starkbar," he said, pushing the box toward Phil. The two supersoldiers had clearly been snacking while they worked, their appetites increased by the scent of food.
"Thanks," Phil said. It was a mixed box, so he took one of the peanut bars and munched that to take the edge off his hunger.
Bruce lifted the lid from the crockpot. More delectable steam poured forth. Bruce poked at the beef stew with a fork, then shook his head. "This needs a while longer to cook. The potatoes and carrots are still a little stiff."
"Say, how about biscuits to go with supper?" Phil offered. The savory stew reminded him of his grandmother's kitchen. She always made fresh biscuits to go with it, and Phil didn't want to settle for bakery buns today.
"That would be great," said Bruce.
"Okay, I need buttermilk, flour, baking soda ..." Phil listed the ingredients. Bucky and Steve already had some of them on the table and simply pushed those in his direction. Bruce fetched the rest. "JARVIS, please preheat an oven to 450°F."
"Acknowledged," JARVIS said, and the amber light flicked on.
Phil mixed the dough, enjoying the chance to spend time with his people. Steve and Bucky seemed well recovered from the recent stress. Phil felt grateful that Bruce had taken care of them while Phil mostly had his hands full with Tony. Nobody wanted Bucky to feel guilty about the support he needed while healing. The dough came together under Phil's hands. He tipped it onto the pastry mat. Bruce brought him the marble rolling pin, cold from the refrigerator, to roll out the biscuits. Then Phil realized something else was missing, and his hands were all over dough.
"Ack, biscuit cutter, I forgot to ask --" Phil said.
Steve held out a ring of metal that had probably started life as a tuna can. Worn tape covered the top edge, while the bottom edge was sharp and free of burrs. "Here, you can use mine," Steve said. "Tony has a cookie-cutter one with a handle if you want it, but I don't think it works as well. So I made this and a flower shape and some other stuff."
Phil took the repurposed can and briskly stamped out a set of biscuits. He transferred them to the baking sheet. Then he rerolled the dough and cut a few more rounds. He popped the last scrap of dough into his mouth. Finally he slid the biscuits into the upper oven. "JARVIS, twelve minutes on the timer, please." The digital counter activated.
Bruce gave the rolling pin a quick wipe-down and returned it to the refrigerator. Phil turned back to tidy up the remains of biscuit-making. He heard footsteps behind him, and glanced over his shoulder.
"Oh my gosh, Steve Rogers is baking apple pies in my kitchen!" Tony exclaimed, clinging to the doorframe. "I think we just reached a critical mass of Americana."
At least I'm not the only one to get hit square in the nostalgia by this, Phil thought.
"You don't have to keep hugging the door, Tony," said Steve. "Come on over and join us, if you like."
Tony's knuckles turned white where he clutched the wood. "I, I can't cook. You can ask Pepper. I think she wrote it down somewhere. Tony Stark is a terrible cook."
Phil realized that Tony was holding himself back, not for the first time, because he didn't feel that he deserved -- or could get -- whatever it was he wanted. Answers, achievements, possessions, he'll go after those; personal connections, far less often. That's a bad habit that needs breaking, Phil thought. Besides, people have been giving Tony space since the garage fight, maybe a little too much space. We need to coax him back toward the center of the group.
"Did anyone ever teach you cooking?" Bucky asked Tony.
" ... no?" Tony said. He leaned forward, though, held in place only by his death grip on the doorframe.
"Come here," Bucky invited. "We'll teach you how."
Tony glowed. His smile completely outshone the faint gleam of the arc reactor through his shirt. "Okay," he said. He scampered across the room --
-- and plunked himself in Bucky's lap.
Fortunately the supersoldier was just tall enough to see over him. Bucky gave Phil a questioning look.
Phil nodded confirmation of Tony's sudden drop in age. It came as a surprise after the recent tension. The timing worried Phil a little, because they hadn't gotten very long to let things settle.
Maybe all the talking has helped after all, Phil mused. I hope that this works out well and restores the trust between Tony and Bucky, if they can just keep the tone in the right place. Steve and I can help hold things stable. Phil couldn't help smiling, though. Apparently the secret to leading Tony was as simple as making him want to follow you.
That reminded Phil of the devastating violation by Obadiah Stane, who had been more father figure than business partner to Tony. Phil winced inwardly. It's a wonder Tony can still trust anyone's authority, Phil thought.
"Right now we're making apple pies. They're really easy," Bucky said. "We need more apples. We also need a fresh pie plate, along with flour and butter and stuff for the crust ..." He went on to summarize the process.
Tony reached for the fruit knife.
Steve whisked it out of his reach. "Let me do this part; it's a little tricky," he said. "I wouldn't want you to cut yourself."
Tony stared at him with huge eyes. " ... okay," he said. His right thumb rubbed slowly over his fingertips.
* * *
Notes:
Phil is making Southern Buttermilk Biscuits. A fan asked me about gluten free biscuits, so I've added some references: Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits (similar to Phil's), Gluten Free Biscuits (made with almond milk, and a GF flour mix linked from another page), and Gluten Free Biscuits (billed as a tolerant, easy recipe). See also "5 Secrets to Fluffy, Sky-high Gluten Free Biscuits."
A marble rolling pin requires a little extra care, but is a handy kitchen tool especially in combination with a marble board. Using marble tools helps to keep dough cold.
You can make your own biscuit cutter from a can, including simple shapes like a flower. Aluminum from soda cans or baking tins is easier to work than steel cans, but not as sturdy. This video about making dough cutters has the first USEFUL pop-up I have ever seen in my life: it gives you a link to the recipe for the cookies. I wish more people would do THIS instead of waving aggravating crap in my face.
Americana is the collection of cultural material that invokes the spirit of the United States. You can see why Steve Rogers and apple pie would rouse strong feelings of nostalgia.
Negative feedback can discourage people from learning new skills, especially in areas outside their expertise. Pepper's canonical habit of yowling at Tony for doing things wrong, instead of showing him how to do better, is not very helpful. Overcoming discouragement is an important life skill. Learn to deal with unsupportive people and to work past discouragement.
Tony often holds himself back because he feels that he doesn't deserve good things. Life has taught him to do for himself, since other people more often try to take advantage of him than help him. There are tips for feeling good enough.
Effective leadership skills entail making people want to follow you by understanding their needs and accepting their admiration. Teaching is a crucial leadership ability so that you can help people fulfill their potential. Steve has always looked up to Bucky and credited him with providing a moral compass; now we're starting to see Bucky's leadership ability in action, where Captain America really came from.
[To be continued in Part 54 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Virginia "Pepper" Potts.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse, mind control, and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: Bucky has a bad day when his memory won't boot up quite right. This makes other people stressed out too. Attempts to help are partially successful, but then the team dynamics go severely pear-shaped.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Vulgar language. Flangst. Hurt/Comfort. Fear of loss. Friendship. Confusion. Memory loss. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Self-harm. Tony!whump. Tony Stark has a heart. Tony doesn't like being handed things. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Games. Trust issues. Consent. Safety and security. Artificial intelligence. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Communication. Personal growth. Cooking. Americana. Family of choice. Feels. #coulsonlives.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31, Part 32, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38, Part 39, Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43, Part 44, Part 45, Part 46, Part 47, Part 48, Part 49, Part 50, Part 51, Part 52. Skip to Part 55, Part 56.
"Hide and Seek" Part 53
A timer dinged. Bruce pulled a pie out of the upper oven. This one had a solid crust, now baked to perfect golden brown, with a star pricked into the center. Steam billowed up, smelling like fruit and a cozy family afternoon and home. The rich aroma made Phil's mouth water. Then his stomach growled.
Bucky laughed. "Here, have a Starkbar," he said, pushing the box toward Phil. The two supersoldiers had clearly been snacking while they worked, their appetites increased by the scent of food.
"Thanks," Phil said. It was a mixed box, so he took one of the peanut bars and munched that to take the edge off his hunger.
Bruce lifted the lid from the crockpot. More delectable steam poured forth. Bruce poked at the beef stew with a fork, then shook his head. "This needs a while longer to cook. The potatoes and carrots are still a little stiff."
"Say, how about biscuits to go with supper?" Phil offered. The savory stew reminded him of his grandmother's kitchen. She always made fresh biscuits to go with it, and Phil didn't want to settle for bakery buns today.
"That would be great," said Bruce.
"Okay, I need buttermilk, flour, baking soda ..." Phil listed the ingredients. Bucky and Steve already had some of them on the table and simply pushed those in his direction. Bruce fetched the rest. "JARVIS, please preheat an oven to 450°F."
"Acknowledged," JARVIS said, and the amber light flicked on.
Phil mixed the dough, enjoying the chance to spend time with his people. Steve and Bucky seemed well recovered from the recent stress. Phil felt grateful that Bruce had taken care of them while Phil mostly had his hands full with Tony. Nobody wanted Bucky to feel guilty about the support he needed while healing. The dough came together under Phil's hands. He tipped it onto the pastry mat. Bruce brought him the marble rolling pin, cold from the refrigerator, to roll out the biscuits. Then Phil realized something else was missing, and his hands were all over dough.
"Ack, biscuit cutter, I forgot to ask --" Phil said.
Steve held out a ring of metal that had probably started life as a tuna can. Worn tape covered the top edge, while the bottom edge was sharp and free of burrs. "Here, you can use mine," Steve said. "Tony has a cookie-cutter one with a handle if you want it, but I don't think it works as well. So I made this and a flower shape and some other stuff."
Phil took the repurposed can and briskly stamped out a set of biscuits. He transferred them to the baking sheet. Then he rerolled the dough and cut a few more rounds. He popped the last scrap of dough into his mouth. Finally he slid the biscuits into the upper oven. "JARVIS, twelve minutes on the timer, please." The digital counter activated.
Bruce gave the rolling pin a quick wipe-down and returned it to the refrigerator. Phil turned back to tidy up the remains of biscuit-making. He heard footsteps behind him, and glanced over his shoulder.
"Oh my gosh, Steve Rogers is baking apple pies in my kitchen!" Tony exclaimed, clinging to the doorframe. "I think we just reached a critical mass of Americana."
At least I'm not the only one to get hit square in the nostalgia by this, Phil thought.
"You don't have to keep hugging the door, Tony," said Steve. "Come on over and join us, if you like."
Tony's knuckles turned white where he clutched the wood. "I, I can't cook. You can ask Pepper. I think she wrote it down somewhere. Tony Stark is a terrible cook."
Phil realized that Tony was holding himself back, not for the first time, because he didn't feel that he deserved -- or could get -- whatever it was he wanted. Answers, achievements, possessions, he'll go after those; personal connections, far less often. That's a bad habit that needs breaking, Phil thought. Besides, people have been giving Tony space since the garage fight, maybe a little too much space. We need to coax him back toward the center of the group.
"Did anyone ever teach you cooking?" Bucky asked Tony.
" ... no?" Tony said. He leaned forward, though, held in place only by his death grip on the doorframe.
"Come here," Bucky invited. "We'll teach you how."
Tony glowed. His smile completely outshone the faint gleam of the arc reactor through his shirt. "Okay," he said. He scampered across the room --
-- and plunked himself in Bucky's lap.
Fortunately the supersoldier was just tall enough to see over him. Bucky gave Phil a questioning look.
Phil nodded confirmation of Tony's sudden drop in age. It came as a surprise after the recent tension. The timing worried Phil a little, because they hadn't gotten very long to let things settle.
Maybe all the talking has helped after all, Phil mused. I hope that this works out well and restores the trust between Tony and Bucky, if they can just keep the tone in the right place. Steve and I can help hold things stable. Phil couldn't help smiling, though. Apparently the secret to leading Tony was as simple as making him want to follow you.
That reminded Phil of the devastating violation by Obadiah Stane, who had been more father figure than business partner to Tony. Phil winced inwardly. It's a wonder Tony can still trust anyone's authority, Phil thought.
"Right now we're making apple pies. They're really easy," Bucky said. "We need more apples. We also need a fresh pie plate, along with flour and butter and stuff for the crust ..." He went on to summarize the process.
Tony reached for the fruit knife.
Steve whisked it out of his reach. "Let me do this part; it's a little tricky," he said. "I wouldn't want you to cut yourself."
Tony stared at him with huge eyes. " ... okay," he said. His right thumb rubbed slowly over his fingertips.
* * *
Notes:
Phil is making Southern Buttermilk Biscuits. A fan asked me about gluten free biscuits, so I've added some references: Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits (similar to Phil's), Gluten Free Biscuits (made with almond milk, and a GF flour mix linked from another page), and Gluten Free Biscuits (billed as a tolerant, easy recipe). See also "5 Secrets to Fluffy, Sky-high Gluten Free Biscuits."
A marble rolling pin requires a little extra care, but is a handy kitchen tool especially in combination with a marble board. Using marble tools helps to keep dough cold.
You can make your own biscuit cutter from a can, including simple shapes like a flower. Aluminum from soda cans or baking tins is easier to work than steel cans, but not as sturdy. This video about making dough cutters has the first USEFUL pop-up I have ever seen in my life: it gives you a link to the recipe for the cookies. I wish more people would do THIS instead of waving aggravating crap in my face.
Americana is the collection of cultural material that invokes the spirit of the United States. You can see why Steve Rogers and apple pie would rouse strong feelings of nostalgia.
Negative feedback can discourage people from learning new skills, especially in areas outside their expertise. Pepper's canonical habit of yowling at Tony for doing things wrong, instead of showing him how to do better, is not very helpful. Overcoming discouragement is an important life skill. Learn to deal with unsupportive people and to work past discouragement.
Tony often holds himself back because he feels that he doesn't deserve good things. Life has taught him to do for himself, since other people more often try to take advantage of him than help him. There are tips for feeling good enough.
Effective leadership skills entail making people want to follow you by understanding their needs and accepting their admiration. Teaching is a crucial leadership ability so that you can help people fulfill their potential. Steve has always looked up to Bucky and credited him with providing a moral compass; now we're starting to see Bucky's leadership ability in action, where Captain America really came from.
[To be continued in Part 54 ...]
Thank you!
Date: 2013-12-11 10:01 am (UTC)I'm happy to hear that.
>> I love Phil making the biscuits <<
He wants to connect his past memories of home and family with his current situation, and also to share a favorite family recipe with the people he now loves. He's not the only one doing that, if you look at what kinds of things other folks are making.
>> and especially the line > Phil mixed the dough, enjoying the chance to spend time with his people.< I love it so much, how Phil thinks of them as HIS people. <<
Well, they are: both his team of assets through SHIELD, but also his family as the ones he lives with.
>> I LOVE how Bucky invited Tony to learn, <<
That's why people follow Bucky -- and Steve. Standing invitation to better yourself, and give you a hand up if you need it. For Tony, it's like water in the desert.
>> I adored Tony's smile and I got a few weird looks from my husband when I laughed out loud at Tony plonking himself into Bucky's lap. <<
Yay! Tony seems to be the most erratic with ageplay. Sometimes he gets stuck, other times he's slippy like this. But it's good that he can explore this.
>> I can't wait for more. <<
Next update on Friday.