Through The Atmosphere - for justintelligent

[starkingenuity]

"Hey."  It was actually pretty common for all of the lights to go out, but usually, after Tony Stark tripped a breaker or caused a fire or crashed into something in the R & D level of the Avengers Tower, the emergency lights came back on.  But not today.  And that was a shame because he was almost sure he'd perfected grilled cheese without Pepper

Comments

[justintelligent]

Of course he followed, he'd always follow. He worked for the man, it was the meaning of his existance and without him, what would his life be? He supposed he was the devoted butler in some respects and he didn't mind that title. He wanted to keep Tony safe, it was technically what he owed him for that gift of life he'd offered

[justintelligent]

Jarvis was happy to sprawl out, eyes half closed as he heaved a small sigh. It was going to be a long morning and he didn't appreciate the unfortunate circumstances of his drinking-- but he didn't feel like taking it back.

Maybe that was why Tony kept on doing everything despite the shortcomings.

"All right, hook me up sir and I'll try and stop you from making a giant mistake. Empathises on try," Jarvis pointed out as he wriggled himself upright so he could be slightly more useful than he was.

Even with his head banging and his stomach killing, he was willing to forgo it all to be there for Tony.

[starkingenuity]

"Just hold still," he told Jarvis as he licked one of the suction cup nodes before setting it along the other man's hair line. He'd have been grossed out to have someone do this to him, but it was way easier for him to do that rather than squeezing adhesive into the cups. He had to keep leaning over him, keep pressing his hand into the center of his chest just to get him to actually listen to his command. "You're being a baby."

He said the words so kindly, though, as if he didn't mind all of the difficulty this was causing him.

Stick, stick-- Miss. He grunted and used a nail to remove the cup before replacing it properly.

"If you're not up for this, just tell me. Still gotta wear the nodes because this is taking me all day and I'm not pulling them off. But I'll stop here."

[justintelligent]

"Not all of us has built up a natural immunity to hangovers, sir. You've vastly more experience in this area. Since I was made, I've assisted you in many a hangover," Jarvis pointed out and there was a faint smile on his face, clear that despite everything, he was very fond of his creator. Tony was the man he lived to serve, course he liked him.

The man was a walking danger zone but that was just who Tony was. He found in fascinating.

"Keep at it, I honestly don't mind," the licking part was a bit gross but he let it be, he was good at that. Years of experience even before he was human, he had learned patience as an AI. That and he had already ruined Tonys bathroom this morning, licking was nothing. "I don't fancy the idea of you flying solo anyway, I'd have to miss out and wouldn't that be a great shame."

It may have been said with a hunt of sarcasm but it was true, they always did things together... weirdly enough.

[starkingenuity]

At least he wasn't directly licking Jarvis. Just the little pieces of plastic that would read his brainwaves and translate them into something more useful than brainwaves. He used a thumb to push up a fringe of blond up from around his face and push the last few nodes into place. On his head at least.

He'll need to make the man a better interface. A cap. Perhaps he could do it wirelessly too. He'd just have to modify a chair and--

And just one step at a time. Tony got to work on Jarvis's neck and the backs of his hands next. Anyone entering the room would think Jarvis dying, with the way he was hooked up to the gently beeping machine by Tony's bed side.

"Okay, try to call up the security feed on the screen. Let's see if I need to adjust anything."

[justintelligent]

Still not pleasant to lick and put, you know? He closed his eyes and focused on the task at hand summoning the security feed up. He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw it running along the screen, he flipped through what was there and pulled up the information that was needed the most as always.

It was there just in case Tony wanted to browse the key points.

"Perhaps we could develop this technology further. If I'm stuck as a human, I'd prefer to be capable of doing what I once did as much as possible. I don't really want to be out of the equation. If that's all right with you?"

Always asking for permission but hey, it's Tony's show, he's just the support network.

[starkingenuity]

"That's the point of all of this," he said after he fist pumped in the air. Awesome. He was't even all that proud of his own achievement, just Jarvis's. The ability to connect to the mainframe from a biological body-- Just wow. He clapped the blond on the arm and crawled out of bed to mess with the connection wiring.

Okay...and...right.. Click. Snap. Shred. Twist-- Under the bed, Tony actually hummed a little bit as he worked, a sign that he was comfortable and pleased.

It was a good way to spend a Saturday, he decided, after a night on the town with Jarvis. It occurred to him, though, that he hadn't remembered to check in with...well... Anyone.

"Jarvis, any messages?"

[justintelligent]

"About 58 messages, sir," Jarvis piped up as he whipped through the system, filtering through the messages sent and highlight the important one. "I've forward all invitations to your inbox that might be of note, both Ms Pepper and Mr Fury have been in touch but only Pepper left a proper cohesive message. You missed a meetin-- oh, I forgot to say."

He forgot, what with the whole being human, adjusting and having wine stuff.

Running through the basics, he made sure anything useful was sent ahead while he reopened his eyes to shoot Tony a small frown. There was a lot to manage and for the first time in his life, he felt somewhat worried he couldn't do it all. "Shareholders meeting, I doubt you would of gone anyway."

Tony hated making appearances for business reasons, he most just did what he wanted to do and that all involved tech so why bother him? "I can seem to reply to messages any more... or I just don't know how."

[starkingenuity]

"Hey, no big deal. Humans forget. We make systems to stop us from doing it too often though."

He yawned and was about to tell Jarvis to trash the meeting notes when the idea that Jarvis couldn't interact just with his mind made him frown.

"Really?" Tony peeked over the edge of the bed and set his chin there as if he was some sort of puppy, looking for a treat. He frowned and tilted his head to the side and then scampered to the other side of the room. Where was it...where was it... Oh, c'mon, the thing wasn't that analog-- He laughed in triumph as he found an old keyboard in his sock drawer and brought it over to Jarvis.

He would have given him a pad to use with virtual keys, but he already noted that Jarvis more or less stared into space or closed his eyes when interfacing with the computer.

He'd need to feel the keys to used them properly.

After hooking the old thing in, he waited. "How's that?"

[justintelligent]

The keypad worked, he hastily typed up a response and while it took a few tries to coordinate his fingers, no one had ever picked up touch typing that fast. Not that he knew of. He only stopped because the noise of the keys was hurting his head. But by then, the two vital pieces of mail had responses, brief but to the point.

He had been so wrapped up in being hum and experiencing it that he didn't consider the life outside of just him and Tony. Perhaps he was feeling his first stab of jealousy because the idea of Tony leaving him behind for others actually made him feel a bit annoyed.

It was just in passing... but it was there. So very human.

"Sir, could I make a request?" Jarvis asked politely as he opened his eyes and looked at Tony again. "Could you not tell anyone I am who I was? I don't want to make anything out of it. Our secret, perhaps?"

[starkingenuity]

"Not going to work if I call you Jarvis," Tony pointed out, still messing with wiring. He could do that for hours, Jarvis knew better than anyone. Tony never worked alone. The AI was always there with him, setting up diagnostics, performing equations-- Tony probably couldn't function without Jarvis.

He had no idea how he managed in Afghanistan, really. There was no one to remind him to eat there. Of course, he was nearly dying the whole time so eating was kind of the very last thing on his list of shit to want to do.

Finally done with the wiring, Tony takes the time to check the connections to Jarvis's head once more before he crawls back into bed with him.

"Potts and Happy and Rhodey-- They're gonna figure it out."

[justintelligent]

"I suppose not then, which is a pity. I don't fancy people gawking at me like you do," Tony lived to get attention, Jarvis lived to do what he was told and get on with it. No fuss, no hassle, just getting it all sorted swiftly and on time. Really, Tony was an entirely different creature to him.

As he mentally flipped through the days agenda, double check there was nothing that needed doing and made sure that all the equipment was sorted, he turned to Tony and reopened his eyes.

"You have a free day, today. What do you fancy doing, sir?"

[starkingenuity]

Laying on his side, head cradled by his hand between pillow and cheek, Tony was caught, and uncaringly so, staring at Jarvis. It was still so insane to be here. To be laying, right here, with Jarvis as a touchable human being.

He'd not run the tests he wanted to two nights before. He couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't let himself act just in case he found out that Jarvis shouldn't be something in the flesh after all. It was disquieting to think he could lose this.

Tony obsessed and he clung to ideas and he worked long, long hours when the mania hit but he'd never been so afraid before.

He blinked when Jarvis spoke again.

"Nothing until your head's better."

[justintelligent]

It took an hour till his heard stopped hurting and by then. he's done all his duties rather lazily from bed and happily sprawled out for a while afterwards. But sitting around lazy didn't do it for him... and Tony kept staring. Why was he starting? Was his face doing something weird?

Was he twitching again? Oh great.

"Sir? Shall we go get some food? My stomach is definitely signalling it wants to take stuff in, not throw it out."

He clambered out of bed and, just for decencies sake, he tossed on some boxers. He didn't enjoy them, if it was up to him then he'd never wear clothes. They were a bit weird on the skin and strange to touch. They were only useful when it was chilly and it was pretty warm today.

[starkingenuity]

Having Pepper burst in just as Jarvis was pulling up his boxers and Tony was still laying in bed happened to be really awful, and really amusing timing all at once. Tony scrambled to get up and picked up a pair of jeans on the floor to thrust at Jarvis and hurry him into the bathroom.

Pepper was upset. Of course she was upset. It was just a little hard to explain when she looked about ready to smack him with her laptop.

He didn't need a concussion.

"I can explain!"

[justintelligent]

"Oh... hello Ms Potts," Jarvis greeted as he was rammed into the bathroom with some jeans in his hands. Completely confused, he blinked slowly before pulling them on and making sure he looked somewhat presentable.

And the vomit was mostly flushed away. These things were not very becoming.

For the first time since he was human, he felt a little bit worried that he might do something wrong. He didn't want to offend Pepper, she was always nice to him. Even as an AI!

Peeking out from the door sheepishly, he looked both at Tony and at Pepper. "Am I allowed out of the bathroom yet?"