Deal With It

“Alan, please, for the last time, you can’t just be your own man anymore-”

“Piss off.” Alan flipped his father off as he took the water bottle and headed back to the gym, ignoring the disapproving glares of his brothers and sister.

“Okay, just- don’t spend too long in there!”

Phil’s tired voice sounded through the kitchen again. The past week was as close to a nightmare as it was to a dream for the Coulsons. While Alan was back, he had become a typical unruly teenager. Phil had not dared to touch the topic of rules since the meltdown they had previously, and, consequently, Alan used that to his advantage. In his defense, he had kept his room clean and made sure to tidy up after himself without being asked, but he refused to respect anyone but himself. So far, he had only interacted with his immediate family, and both Clint and Natasha were ready to kick his ass back into 2018. They avoided him like the plague, knowing that their father would not be happy if they laid a finger on him without his explicit permission, and seeing as the two were really close to punching him in the face, the smarter choice was leaving him alone. Neither of the two wanted to face their father's belt because they couldn't keep their anger in check, although the horrendous way the teen treated their father greatly unnerved them. Their father deserved so much more respect, and if they had his permission, they would have talked (not necessarily with words) to the teen about it.

So, ironically, all of the Coulsons sighed in relief when a mission came up, requiring all of them to leave for a week or two. Phil had to be in command as the handler, making sure that everything ran smoothly. Clint, Nat and Grant were the appointed specialists and agents for the mission and Melinda and Skye were off on a training mission issued by the Academy. Pietro and Wanda had been staying on Tony’s floor so that things could get back to normal. The two had yet to meet their ‘uncle’. Naturally, Phil couldn’t let Alan stay on his own since, technically speaking, a week ago, the kid had been a HYDRA assassin. For the same exact reason, he couldn’t hire a normal babysitter or SHIELD agents to watch him because they wouldn’t be able to handle him. So, after a bit of consideration, Phil came up with the perfect solution: Alan would meet his Uncle Nick for the first time as the rest of the family was to depart the following morning, hoping for the best.

At 8 am sharp the following morning, Nick showed up on the Coulson floor, seeing the entire family minus Skye and Melinda, who had already left, and Alan, who was probably in the gym, ready to go. The ‘kids’ greeted their uncle, and so did Phil, before inviting the older man to his office.

As Nick took a seat, Phil closed the door letting his head fall against the dark wood with a loud “thud”.

Nick turned around to face the man he cared for as a younger brother.

“I can’t do it anymore, Nick. None of the other kids was like that. Even Clint, with the number of times I was called into the Academy, had not been this difficult. He’s uncontrollable, disrespectful and purely rude.”

Nick could hear the desperation in his co-directors voice, the fatigue was obvious on Phil’s face. There were dark circles under his eyes, and the man kept rubbing his face with his hands as if trying to wake himself up.

“Have you told him the rules? The boundaries? What should the boy expect from you?”

Phil sighed, moving to sit next to his older brother.

“No, Nick, not since the day we found out. He threw a tantrum that day, and I couldn’t bring myself to touch the subject again.”

“I see. Then I’ll see what I can do with the time I have.”

Phil stood up.

“Thank you, Nick. You are the only one I can trust with him. Steve and Bucky are a bit too… How do I phrase this… uptight? Not like you’re not, no offence, but you are a bit more modern in a way. And Tony… Tony is still a kid himself…”

“I get it, Coulson, don’t worry; everything will be alright; go on the mission and come back safely.”

“Thanks.”

The two older men stood up and left the room. Nick waited until the entire family was gone before asking FRIDAY where the youngest Coulson was and starting to look for him.

Unsurprisingly, Alan was in the gym, training. No wonder the kid was so fit, seeing how many hours he spent in the gym. According to FRIDAY, Alan spent most of the day and sometimes nights in the gym.

Nick entered the room, closing the door behind him. Alan immediately heard the sound and turned around, resting his hands against the boxing bad he had viciously beaten, smirking when he recognized the man. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead with one gloved hand and casually walked to where Nick was standing, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.

“So, I heard the old man left. Guess he doesn’t trust me enough to leave me alone. Honestly, it’s not like I give a shit-”

Despite his age, Nick prided himself on being quick and agile. He might not look like it, but he was just as deadly as any of his agents. It took him less than a second to close the distance between them, and he stared into Alan’s eyes as he addressed him.

“You will NOT speak to me this way. Watch your language when you are talking to me. Got it?”

Despite himself, Alan nodded absently. He was not scared of the man, but he also knew Fury was not one to mess around. Alan knew he could take him down in a matter of seconds, but he did not want to. Notwithstanding his hostile attitude, he wanted a family desperately. He couldn’t help himself. He regretted the outburst that pushed his father away from him in the isolation room. It’s not like the teenager wasn’t used to following rules; there were plenty of them at HYDRA. He was just scared and not ready. Fury was different. He wouldn’t step away. And Nick’s voice warned the teenager that there would be consequences. Alan was more or less sure that he wouldn’t be beaten into a bloody pulp as he had been at HYDRA, but he didn’t want to see the implied consequences.

Nick did not step away. He had not expected Alan to give in quickly, and he knew that in order to get to the youngster, he had to be firm, strict, and stand his ground.

“I want a verbal answer, Alan. You have been undercover in the military, you know what it is like. Don’t test me.”

Alan narrowed his eyes but still responded as required. “Yes, sir. I get it.”

Fury nodded and stepped away, although he did give the teen one last look. “Do you know where the office is?”

Alan didn’t bear the look of a hostile anymore; on the contrary, he relaxed slightly. After all, he had a life full of control and obeying orders, and being independent for weeks took its toll on the kid. He never had the chance to express himself or do what he wanted at HYDRA. The only thing he got to control back there was the number of extra hours he wanted to put in in the gym, and that only took place in the last three years, after he had become a more or less respectable agent. Before he turned 10, a group of handlers controlled every second of his day. Being under the rules again felt better because it took away the responsibility to think on his own. All he had to do was follow what was being said, and he was sure that, unlike HYDRA, Fury’s orders wouldn’t make him kill anyone. If being respectful is what it took to feel normal, Alan would do it.

Standing at ease, with hands clasped behind his back, Alan answered as he knew what was expected of him. “Yes, sir.”

Fury raised an eyebrow at the complete shift in the teen's demeanour when he told Alan to uphold the standards set by the military, he did not mean the poses as well, but he wouldn’t fight it. Seeing how much trouble the ex-HYDRA agent caused Phil and the others, it was better for Alan to show more respect rather than less.

“I want you in the office in exactly 90 minutes. Not a second late. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”

With that, Fury left the boy, who stayed still.
It took more time than Alan would like to admit for him to get back on track with his workout. Even then, he could not stop thinking about the way he reacted. The teen kept questioning himself. Should he have started shouting and defying the man? Did he do the right thing? Did he want to be a part of this family? The answer to the last question came to his mind immediately. Yes, he did. Even if he had to follow the ‘dumb rules’. Maybe not towards Coulson, just not quite yet. He had not earned Alan’s respect yet. But the teen was not going to defy Fury. It was not worth it.

Alan stood in front of the office with 5 minutes to spare. A slightly hesitant knock on the door and a firm “come in” followed, and Alan found himself in his father’s study for the first time. Granted, he had already visited the room before, but that had been when he was exploring the area. The teen came to a halt in front of the oak desk where his uncle sat, standing at attention, ramrod straight.

Nick almost chuckled at the complete change in the attitude of the teen, who went from a rebellious, obnoxious teenager to an exemplary soldier in the span of a couple of hours. Who knew (Nick did) that all he needed was a very firm hand to enforce the rules? “At ease, Alan.” At that, the kid relaxed a little, clasping his hands behind the back.

Nick stood up so that he was level with his nephew and fixed his gaze on the teen. “I know how you have been treating the rest of your family lately. That is not going to fly with me. I will treat you with respect, but I expect the same amount of respect back. Clear?”

Alan nodded, uttering a quick “Yes, sir”. Fury did not show the inner shock he felt at the composed look of the younger man; however, it did surprise him. As much as anything ever surprises Nick Fucking Fury.

“I do not mind your wit or sarcasm, but if I tell you to do something, I expect it to be done. If you have a problem with it, you bring it up respectfully, but the final say is mine. Orders regarding your safety are non-negotiable, and I will not tolerate disobedience. Clear so far?”

At Alan’s subsequent “Crystal, sir”, Nick continued his speech. “Now, the rules.” The director paused, awaiting to see his nephew’s reaction, half-expecting another tantrum; however, the teen remained at ease, listening intently, his cold blue eyes making contact with his uncle’s stern brown ones. “You are stuck with me for the next ten days, and here is how they will look for you. You will workout at least once a day, albeit that does not seem to be an issue. You are not to drink or smoke, that goes without saying, you are only fifteen. And I would want you to start taking SHIELD courses, although that is up to you, and whether you want to get involved as an agent.” At that, the teen’s eyes brightened. Would he be entrusted to serve SHIELD as a field agent?

Fury did not miss the spark of hope, and elaborated. “If you do decide to do the courses, I will escort you to the Operations Academy starting tomorrow, and enroll you in certain classes. Until you prove that you are indeed trustworthy, you will not be staying there as a recruit. If you perform well, I will graduate you within a month. Logically, certain conditions have to be met, such as obeying any order given by a superior officer. Basic rules of respect go, obviously. Within SHIELD, I am to be referred to as Director Fury, or sir. At home, you can call me Nick, Uncle Nick, or simply Fury. And I will be disciplining you for your outburst in the gym - you swore at me.”

That was the first time the youngest Coulson showed a reaction. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, a look of annoyance silently flashing on his face before disappearing. Naturally, Fury notices it.

“Any questions?” Fury raised an eyebrow at his nephew, worldessly challenging him. If Alan wanted to overpower Fury, he would be able to. The director was no match for a trained assassin in a confined space after all. However, Nick seemed to sense that the teen would back down without a fight, and seemed confident that he would submit to his authority without question.

After a moment of silence, the teen shook his head slightly. “No, sir.” Another small victory for the director.

In truth, Alan himself did not understand why he was submitting to Fury’s authority so easily. It did seem right, to a certain extent. The facade of an overconfident SOB that he had been putting on for the last week had been a facade, not the real version of the teen. Of course, he wanted to be a part of the family. He had been dreaming of this moment for most of his life, waiting for someone to care for him, and here was his chance. He messed things up with his father, but this was a chance to reconcile and actually become a part of the team, a part of the family, HIS family. So he would take the chance, even if it meant being disciplined for his wrongdoings. He could take a beating.

“Then, I want you to bend over the table and assume the position.” Fury did not hesitate, and started unbuckling his belt the second the words were pronounced. It was protocol, both at SHIELD and within the family. You break the rules, you get disciplined with a spanking, or belting, depending on the age.

That came as a surprise to the teen. He expected to be beaten, or possibly locked in a dark room, not spanked. That being said, he should not have been that surprised - it was protocol in the military, and probably at SHIELD.

Not wanting to drag out the embarrassing ordeal, Alan took a couple of steps and stood in front of the desk. After another moment of hesitation, he slowly bent over it, placing his hands on it for support, exhaling slowly. Meanwhile, Fury folded the belt in half and moved to stand to the side of his nephew, placing one hand on his lowerback.

Fury raised the hand holding the belt and paused, addressing the teen. “Tell me, Alan, why are you getting belted?”
Certain that his face was undoubtedly red, Alan responded respectfully. “For my disrespectful attitude and foul language when speaking to you, sir.”

Nick nodded, satisfied with the response, and let the belt do the talking. The first lick landed with a loud sound, surprising the teen. That had hurt way more than he expected, and he exhaled slowly, determined to remain silent and take his chastisement as a man.

Fury noticed the reaction, or lack of one, from the teen, and smiled, the younger man reminding him of how any of the Coulson kids would try and behave. Stubbornly, all of the other four intended to remain quiet during their punishments, no matter how old or how young. Of course, Grant and Skye were rarely successful in that, however, Nat and Clint had grown more and more able to withstand the pain and the emotions of the spanking. After all, it was the guilt of the realisation that their parents or superior officers were disappointed enough in their action to warrant discipline that usually drove the chastised ones to tears, not tha physical discomfort and pain. Although that definitely played its role as well.

Not slowing down, Fury landed three more rapid licks, focusing specifically on the undercurve, the spot felt most when Alan sat down. Watching the teen carefully, Fury did not miss the barely visible shake of the head and slight tremble in Alan’s arms. Nick knew he was not holding back, and the teen was human after all, although the older man suspected that it was the position itself making the kid more emotional rather than the pain.

Not wasting time, Nick landed six licks in quick succession, covering his entire backside, from the top to his upper thighs. At the last lick, Alan exhaled again, though with a slight tremble this time.

Fury settled into a rhythm, watching the kid carefully for movements rather than focusing on a specific number. He did not know Alan well, so it was important to gauge his reactions rather than simply deliver the punishment. And because he was watching so closely, Nick noticed when Alan tapped one finger slightly on the desk, bowing his head by just a centimeter. That was indication that the lesson had sunk in, and Nick stopped the belting at the thirty-seventh lick, sliding his belt through the loop of his pants and buckling it again. Alan, meanwhile, remained in position, breathing slowly but steadily.

“Stand up and face me, kid.” The teen stood up, albeit a little stiffly, and turned to face his uncle, standing at ease again, hands clasped behind his back. His face was a little red, but there was not a single trace of a tear on his face.

“Thank you for disciplining me, sir. I don’t deserve your compassion, but I appreciate your restraint while addressing my misconduct.”

“Prompts for the unsolicited apology, kid. Accepted.” Fury decided to take a risk, and put his hand on the teen’s shoulder. Normally, he would pull him in for a hug but he did not want to risk this monumental breakthrough.

Alan nodded again. “May I be dismissed, sir?”

“Yes, go ahead. Just join me for lunch in a couple of hours.”

And with one final “Yes, Uncle Nick”, the teen exited the room, leaving his uncle with a small smile on his face. Yeah, they’d be fine.