The Wordsmith's Forge

This story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," "Hide and Seek," and "Kernel Error."

Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Happy Hogan, Tony Stark, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Workplace violence, cross-class tension, problem drinking, false friends, misunderstandings, hangover, Happy!whump, Tony!whump.
Summary: Tony rescues Happy from an abusive employer. Happy rescues Tony from himself. But of course it's never really that simple ...
Notes: Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Fear of loss. Friendship. Confusion. Caregiving. Artificial intelligence. Communication. Feels. Tony Stark Has a Heart.

Begin with Part 1, Part 2. Skip to Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8.


"Happy Hour" Part 3


Hours later, one of the maids came to Happy and said, "You have an assignment. They want you to drive someone home." She pointed toward the inside door.

Why was she directing him into the house? Happy didn't belong in the house. He belonged in the garage or the parking lot with the cars. He wasn't cut out for that kind of domestic work and he wasn't altogether comfortable in the house. He should have gotten a message from the lot supervisor to come get the keys to whichever vehicle he was assigned, so that he could pick up the passenger. Happy followed the maid, though, because at least this task involved doing his real job.

"... or let him fall on the floor, Jesus fuck, just stay here for the five minutes it will take for someone to come pour Stark into a car," said a shrill voice.

Happy rounded a corner to see his employer and the lady from the coffee table reluctantly propping up a blind-drunk Ferret Man. Who apparently was the infamous Tony Stark, realized Happy as he got a better look at the face.

They shoved their drunken guest at him, none too gently, with the careless order, "Get him home in one piece." Then they both headed back to the party.

"Address, sir?" Happy asked, trying to keep Mr. Stark upright.

It took three tries to make out the mumbled reply.

Happy tried heading toward the exit, only to have Mr. Stark trip over his fancy Italian shoes and nearly end up on the floor. Happy caught him again, without saying a word.

Mr. Stark hung all over him, trying to find his balance, and mostly failing. He was handsome, if you liked bad boys, and he had a reputation for humping anything that moved. Happy had his lines ready just in case; you didn't stay in service if you weren't prepared for politely declining rude invitations.

Yet Mr. Stark's wandering hands never landed anywhere inappropriate. It was intimate, but weirdly nonsexual. He seemed more interested in finding a good grip than in a good grope. Happy's opinion of him inched upward. Rich people tended to be dicks, but a few of them -- a very few -- were worth putting up with anyway.

So Happy did something that he almost never did: he slipped his professional bearing a little to one side and handled Mr. Stark the way he would handle a drunk friend. "Let's try something a bit more secure," Happy suggested. He draped Mr. Stark's arm over his shoulder and clasped the smaller man's waist. With Happy supporting most of his weight and keeping him upright, Mr. Stark managed to get his feet moving in the right direction. Outside, the cool air helped to revive Mr. Stark.

The lot supervisor pointed them to the assigned limousine. Happy settled Mr. Stark in the back seat and buckled him in. Then Happy felt the dainty hand slip into his pocket. "Excuse me, sir --"

"F'your trouble," Mr. Stark said blurrily.

* * *

Notes:

About the only sensible thing about this party is the provision of a designated driver for anybody who needs a ride home. It's important not to let people drive drunk, especially since a social host can sometimes be held liable for drunk driving accidents.

Problem drinking refers to situations when alcohol use causes difficulties, but has not yet reached chemical dependence. Getting totally blasted at a party where people don't really care about you, breaking furniture, and having to be half-carried out would definitely qualify. Know the signs and understand how to cut down.

Fortunately Happy knows how to take care of a drunk person. He's probably had plenty of experience before, which will come in handy dealing with Tony.

In canon, Tony seems torn between touch aversion and skin hunger. Sometimes he shies away from people; other times he gets downright handsy and drapes himself all over them. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and encourages people to grope each other.


[To be continued in Part 4 ...]