biggerstick | (no subject)

He knows me better than anyone and he doesn't mind. Now JARVIS, an actual approximation— don't, don't schedule in a nap, for god's sake. Display it on the screen.

As you wish, sir.

[Slick tilts its claw curiously at the pencil, and opens its finger-things as if to reach for it... but doesn't actually reach for it]

[ . . . flips to a new page on the sketchpad and draws a quick little doodle, then holds the pencil out to the bot again. ]

[the bot takes the pencil and pokes the sketchpad with it. Then turns to Steve again, offering it back]

[ laughs and takes it, flipping back to the previous page. ]

Thanks, Slick.

[the laugh actually gets Tony to turn around]

What are you doing? You're supposed to be working— [the bot turns to Tony in apparent alarm] No, not you, him. You're fine, keep it up.

I am, I am.

[ he is indeed already drawing on the sketchpad again. ]

You mind if I put on music?

. . . I don't mind.

JARVIS, have the Captain pick as long as it's not ridiculous.

Captain Rogers, any preference?

Not really. Got any suggestions?

You mean other than the sounds from the deepest circle of hell I usually listen to?

Don't be silly, I'll bet the devil himself can only envy your record collection from afar down there.

[snorts]

JARVIS try the Beatles. Do the whole discography, maybe we can indoctrinate him if we start there.

If you say so, sir.

[and JARVIS starts playing Please Please Me]

That's never worked too well on me.

[ but he just listens for a bit before returning to the pad. whenever he pauses his pencil taps lightly on the paper in time with the music. ]

[of course he'd like it, of course. Tony goes back to his work and Slick stays close to Steve because apparently he loves Steve now.

And after a few songs Yesterday starts, and Tony immediately stops what he's doing]

JARVIS skip that one. Play Twist and Shout.

[JARVIS does as told and Tony turns back to his screen super casually, though it's obvious that whatever he's doing isn't what he was doing earlier, since now he's typing a lot]

[ stops, looking up and frowning as he watches Tony through the beginning of the song ]

Everything okay?

Yeah, yeah, just coding something— use context JARVIS, I thought there weren't any snags with your processors.

[ well, he's not going to pretend he can offer any input to that, though he's still frowning a bit as he looks back at the sketchpad. ]

[he keeps it up for a minute or two longer, then sighs]

Honestly JARVIS, pull the list I'll do it manually.

[and a minute later]

... yeah, yeah fine you're right.

[ mostly tuning Tony out at this point tbh. ]

[he keeps it up for several minutes before he seems satisfied and goes back to whatever he was doing previously.

AND THEN A FEW SONGS LATER Here Comes the Sun starts playing.]

[ well, where there was previously at least the tapping of the pencil, there's dead silence coming from this part of the room. ]

[Tony doesn't register anything wrong until about forty seconds in and by then it's too late to stop it. He turns around and just sort of watches Steve.]

[ he's paused with the pencil in hand, apparently forgotten, just listening with a furrow between his eyebrows.

— after a few moments he catches Tony watching and clears his throat, immediately looking back down at the sketchpad. ]

Who did you say they are?

The Beatles. Uh... sorry about that.