[ not fair, no, but expected. every time he and strange manage to hobble forward, something knocks them back. they're both prone to making quick calls, assuming their approach is best, even when it comes to the intricacies of emotions and trust, so here they are, back at the start.
he nods, solemn. the dip in his mouth might be apologetic, but he doesn't feel remorse for his call. play it out a hundred times, and he'd make it again and again. there's guilt over it. pain, too, at having breached someone's confidence (and Strange is a someone whose respect he'd quite like to earn, at that; an ally and nearly a friend). ]
She knows about what you can do. [ quiet but firm. ] At home and here.
[ all part of the debrief. ]
Not just because of the logo — 'cause I wanted to protect her, too.
[ as a friend, yes, not that she needs him to stand in her way. he only means that the easy out duty provides him doesn't suit this moment. there are things he keeps from bobbi, even now. and she isn't his boss or his handler. once, she may have stood above him, but they're different departments, and he's further along in the timeline, the only truly open agent among them — the power dynamics have shifted, for better or for worse. ]
[ friendship. he can understand it. maybe even respect it. and it's a good reason to undermine his trust, not all reasons being equal.
or at least, it would be. only Stephen Strange wouldn't consider himself a threat to Fitz or the people Fitz trusts - perhaps the most dangerous thing he's done in Fitz' eyes is liase with Loki, and even then, hadn't he done the same? meaning either that he was wrong to assume the confidence ran both ways and Fitz is still on the fence as to whether he really can be trusted, or Fitz considers his friend's desire to maintain a secret identity to be more important than Stephen's decision to grant him sensitive information he really didn't have to share.
he had to choose one person's trust over another, and this is how it landed.
not too much of a blow. just something to remember. ]
Protect is an interesting choice of word.
[ it's telling, even if Fitz hadn't meant for it to be. that the SHIELD trio are a unit regardless of who they ally with. that anyone outside of that is a potential risk, if not an active threat.
a sudden indrawn breath and a raise of his brows as he glances away, substitute for a big bold period at the end of the line, because what else is there? they've had a long day, they've had it out, and there's nothing else to be said— he doesn't leave time to, either. the less fumbled explaining of themselves they do today the better. ]
I'm meeting with her now. She's coming over - with wine, apparently. [ his attention settles back on Fitz like it's a fresh start. like the rest of it's water under the bridge.
like he just doesn't want to talk about it any more. ] Worse ways to meet a person.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
he nods, solemn. the dip in his mouth might be apologetic, but he doesn't feel remorse for his call. play it out a hundred times, and he'd make it again and again. there's guilt over it. pain, too, at having breached someone's confidence (and Strange is a someone whose respect he'd quite like to earn, at that; an ally and nearly a friend). ]
She knows about what you can do. [ quiet but firm. ] At home and here.
[ all part of the debrief. ]
Not just because of the logo — 'cause I wanted to protect her, too.
[ as a friend, yes, not that she needs him to stand in her way. he only means that the easy out duty provides him doesn't suit this moment. there are things he keeps from bobbi, even now. and she isn't his boss or his handler. once, she may have stood above him, but they're different departments, and he's further along in the timeline, the only truly open agent among them — the power dynamics have shifted, for better or for worse. ]
no subject
or at least, it would be. only Stephen Strange wouldn't consider himself a threat to Fitz or the people Fitz trusts - perhaps the most dangerous thing he's done in Fitz' eyes is liase with Loki, and even then, hadn't he done the same? meaning either that he was wrong to assume the confidence ran both ways and Fitz is still on the fence as to whether he really can be trusted, or Fitz considers his friend's desire to maintain a secret identity to be more important than Stephen's decision to grant him sensitive information he really didn't have to share.
he had to choose one person's trust over another, and this is how it landed.
not too much of a blow. just something to remember. ]
Protect is an interesting choice of word.
[ it's telling, even if Fitz hadn't meant for it to be. that the SHIELD trio are a unit regardless of who they ally with. that anyone outside of that is a potential risk, if not an active threat.
a sudden indrawn breath and a raise of his brows as he glances away, substitute for a big bold period at the end of the line, because what else is there? they've had a long day, they've had it out, and there's nothing else to be said— he doesn't leave time to, either. the less fumbled explaining of themselves they do today the better. ]
I'm meeting with her now. She's coming over - with wine, apparently. [ his attention settles back on Fitz like it's a fresh start. like the rest of it's water under the bridge.
like he just doesn't want to talk about it any more. ] Worse ways to meet a person.
[ on which note, he starts to turn away. ]
I better not keep her waiting.