[ peggy tries to chase away the burgeoning sentiment deep in her chest. somewhere beneath her ribs -- like warmth or pride or affection. his faith means so very much to her. even now, she feels like she can count on one hand the amount of people back home who believe in her. maybe two hands, if she counts the commandos individually. and time and time again, jarvis has proven himself to be a staunch ally. stauncher than most. ]
Sod the pan. Even here, I've got a dependable little pistol. [ ... ] Don't mistake me. Should any trouble arise, I hope you'll call on me.
It was never my intention to imply that you're not -- [ only it was. just a little. right up until the moment she realizes she might have bruised his feelings. back home, it simply wouldn't do. but here? here, he might be right.
most months, it was uncommonly calm. ] But when things go pear shaped here, Mister Jarvis, it's quite different from back home.
[Jarvis sighs through his nose, exasperated but not uncaring, not angry. He understands to a degree — new to this place, this strange and utterly new place, fraught with the fear that any moment the calmness will explode into something else. Clearly it's happened before, but...]
I understand you're worried, but I can promise you, I will be cautious.
... If anything, I worry more for you. You tend to skin knees.
[ a snort. but if she looks annoyed, now, it's only because she knows he's right. skinned knees. if only all her troubles could be so superficial. peggy drains her cup of tea and sets it aside. emptied. he might as well be told. ]
Barnes broke a couple ribs. Half my face was black and blue. Took weeks just to get out of bed without swearing a streak of blue. [ so she's struggling with her own helplessness in the face of such power. paranoid that should she so easily be taken down, dear mister jarvis might end up snapped in half. or worse. ]
As sympathetic as his story is, Jarvis will not forget that.]
I'm... sorry. It sounded painful; I didn't mean... to infantilize what's happened. [Skinned knees. He'd been teasing a bit, but that all sounds horribly serious. Horribly grave. There's a streak of guilt passing, knowing he hadn't been available for help. Aloud - ] I was a bit late.
Very little brings me more relief than knowing you weren't here to witness any of it. [ quick; vehement. it's hard enough for barnes to adjust to any sort of life, let alone one lived in the shadow of such events. it had taken peggy ages to mend her bridges with the man. ]
I wasn't. [ she's blunt. honest about it, because this secret isn't one worth keeping. ] For months, we barely spoke to one another. What's happening now is a sort of...work in progress. [ a difficult path, really. she keeps taking those. ]
He wasn't particularly talkative, and he hung up rather abruptly. But he wasn't exactly... impolite or hostile. It seemed more like he - had forgotten social graces and needed to rediscover them.
-- That's fairly typical for him. [ she doesn't coat her answer in anything sweet. it's plain and honest. ] So long as HYDRA's programming isn't in play, he's...alright. Laconic and dealing with a great deal of guilt, yes, but -- he's work befriending, if you feel you have the patience.
[As long as the programming's not, she says. So simple, yet so not.]
... I suppose if I can make friends with a womanizing and arrogant millionaire I could afford to spare some patience for someone in far more need of acquaintances.
Fair enough. [ she concedes the point and makes certain to acknowledge the depth of patience and tolerance in the man sitting across from her. ] It takes a certain kind of person not to clean Howard's clock every quarter hour.
[ she means punch him in the face, though. not...actually clean his actual clocks. ]
[HE LOOKS VERY PREPARED TO CORRECT HER because he doesn't clean them THAT regularly. But then he catches on and snaps his mouth shut for a moment. Ehem.]
And I won't have to be concerned about handling any strange inventions here, too. Have I ever told you about the time I had accidentally caught myself in one of his terrible contraptions?
[ peggy is certain he has told her. perhaps more than once. but right now -- blood low-key buzzing with whiskey and the new year ringing in her ears? she's prepared to hear it again. prepared to hear it a hundred times because as lovely as some of these fleet-based opportunities have been, she feels a spike of nostalgia now and then. ]
Caught yourself! Heavens, don't tell me you were poking your nose where it didn't belong. Howard's work-bench is a perilous place.
[ things have been too blue. she'll join him in shunting them towards cheer. ]
It was some terrible gravity machine that flattened me like a pancake in the shed. Quite the opposite of what Mr. Stark ever intended it to do. I couldn't move for hours!
[A WOEFUL SIGH.]
Oh, it was the worst. A mouse had gotten caught in it, too. I dare say I've grown more appreciative of those nasty little creatures after it kept me company for a few hours while I lamented over my whole life story.
Serves you right for venturing into the shed, I imagine. [ of course jarvis had reason to enter a shed. peggy doesn't doubt he's the one who put the gravity machine out there in the first place when howard had need of room for other disasters. ]
...Has he ever managed to invent something that hasn't gone terribly wrong? Somehow?
[ an exception is made for his hand in enhancing steve, of course. ]
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I'm afraid my confidence in you is not dissuaded, however foolhardy you think it is.
Besides, you're far more dangerous with a pan than a butler.
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Sod the pan. Even here, I've got a dependable little pistol. [ ... ] Don't mistake me. Should any trouble arise, I hope you'll call on me.
[ and (if need be) she'll call on steve. ]
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But I promise you, I'll give a call... As long as you agree to the same.
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Call you? [ wow, try not to take her disbelief to heart dear jarvis. ] If I come across a sock-darning emergency?
[ she's an ass. ]
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I'm wounded, Miss Carter. Surely my services have been more colorful than domestic housework.
Though... I suppose I would come to your aid for the sake of someone's socks.
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[ she wants to protect you, jarvis. ]
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[JUST GONNA SIP MY TEA AT YOU.]
If this is a matter of concern, there's no need; I'm very good at tricky situations.
... It's quite calm here anyway.
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[He folds his arms, partly offended. Partly.]
Because I'm very capable of handling myself when things are not calm.
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most months, it was uncommonly calm. ] But when things go pear shaped here, Mister Jarvis, it's quite different from back home.
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I understand you're worried, but I can promise you, I will be cautious.
... If anything, I worry more for you. You tend to skin knees.
[He smiles a bit, sneaky and impish.]
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Barnes broke a couple ribs. Half my face was black and blue. Took weeks just to get out of bed without swearing a streak of blue. [ so she's struggling with her own helplessness in the face of such power. paranoid that should she so easily be taken down, dear mister jarvis might end up snapped in half. or worse. ]
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[Barnes is a dangerous man.
As sympathetic as his story is, Jarvis will not forget that.]
I'm... sorry. It sounded painful; I didn't mean... to infantilize what's happened. [Skinned knees. He'd been teasing a bit, but that all sounds horribly serious. Horribly grave. There's a streak of guilt passing, knowing he hadn't been available for help. Aloud - ] I was a bit late.
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[He considers this whole situation for a moment.]
You're on good standing with Mr. Barnes, still?
[Not that he's... super surprised. But.]
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-- Have you met him yet?
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He wasn't particularly talkative, and he hung up rather abruptly. But he wasn't exactly... impolite or hostile. It seemed more like he - had forgotten social graces and needed to rediscover them.
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... I suppose if I can make friends with a womanizing and arrogant millionaire I could afford to spare some patience for someone in far more need of acquaintances.
I will aim to do my very best, Miss Carter.
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[ she means punch him in the face, though. not...actually clean his actual clocks. ]
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And I won't have to be concerned about handling any strange inventions here, too. Have I ever told you about the time I had accidentally caught myself in one of his terrible contraptions?
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Caught yourself! Heavens, don't tell me you were poking your nose where it didn't belong. Howard's work-bench is a perilous place.
[ things have been too blue. she'll join him in shunting them towards cheer. ]
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[A WOEFUL SIGH.]
Oh, it was the worst. A mouse had gotten caught in it, too. I dare say I've grown more appreciative of those nasty little creatures after it kept me company for a few hours while I lamented over my whole life story.
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...Has he ever managed to invent something that hasn't gone terribly wrong? Somehow?
[ an exception is made for his hand in enhancing steve, of course. ]
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... However...
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