The Wordsmith's Forge

This story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Hairpins," "Blended," "Am I Not," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys,""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," and "kintsukuroi."

Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Minor character death. Bullying. Fighting. Suicide attempt (minor character).
Summary: This is the story of how a little boy named Flip grows up to save the world a lot.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. Accidents. Emotional whump. Disability. Sibling relationship. Nonsexual love. Parentification. Manipulation. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Protection. Caregiving. Competence. Toys and games. Comic books. Fixing things. Martial arts. Gentleness. Trust. Role models. Military. BAMF Phil Coulson.

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. Skip to Part 30, Part 31, Part 32, Part 33.


"Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 28


Naturally Phil has to explain this change of plans to his family. He takes a little while to recover from the intense training. He doesn't dare go home looking like something the cat dragged in, or his mother will worry. He tries very hard to avoid worrying her, because she can be scary. So Phil rests and eats and fills out the thick stack of entertaining but poorly designed transfer paperwork.

Then he convinces Agent Fury to come with him for proof of Phil's new job. By the time the introductions are done, Phil's mother has sussed out that Fury's mother used to call him Nicky and is refusing to call him anything else. Phil is amused by the way the corners of Fury's eyes twitch when he gets agitated.

"So how did your test go?" Mom asks Phil.

"I qualified for Special Operations," Phil says. "I'm not staying in the Marines, though. Agent Fury here recruited me for a different service."

"That's interesting," Mom says.

"I think so," Phil says. "I'm starting out on loan. We'll try some missions and see how it works out. If I do well and I like the work, we'll complete the transfer."

"Pros and cons?" Mom asks, a calculating look in her eyes.

"The money's better -- a lot better -- but I won't be able to come home often, or tell you much about what I'm doing. I'll be doing work that matters, though. It's difficult and dangerous and takes advantage of the parts I loved most in SO training," Phil says.

"Is that what you want to do?" Mom asks.

Phil lets it show. "Yes."

"Okay then." She nods. "You keep my boy in one piece, you hear me?" Phil's mother says sternly, fixing Agent Fury with a gimlet eye. "Or you'll have me to deal with."

Agent Fury swallows and leans back a fraction of an inch. "Yes, ma'am."

This tiny show of fear pleases Phil. It means the man is not an idiot. He could recognize a credible threat, yet still face it. This earns Fury another measure of respect.

Alexa is surprisingly pragmatic about this change, now that she's gotten used to Phil being in the Marines. "You saved me all the time when were growing up," she says. "I'm a big girl now. I can share you with people who need your help more than I do."

"Thanks, sis. That means a lot to me," Phil says, hugging her tight.

"And look after Nicky," says Alexa. She glances over to where he and Mom are chatting on the porch. "He's like a junkyard dog; he growls a lot, but he still needs somebody to feed him and pat him."

Phil can just see Nick Fury as a squat rottweiler, black over brown, crouched atop a rusted wreck -- the kind of dog who would tear the face off anyone who tried to hotwire a car, but would also lead you to the litter of abandoned kittens.

"Don't worry, I'll look after him," Phil promises, and he does.

* * *

Notes:

Overexertion can include mental and physical effects from pushing too hard. It's particularly troublesome for people who have learned how to shut off their natural warning system. Know how to recover from overexertion.

Mothers are ferocious in protecting their offspring, and they know almost everything. There are tips on becoming more observant.

Problem-solving and decision-making often involve comparing pros and cons.


[To be continued in Part 29 ...]