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, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8.
Read the next posted piece, "Saudades."

Here ends "Happy Hour." Thank you all for sticking with the series this far! I love your input. Final thoughts on the story overall are welcome, in addition to reactions on this specific chapter. I also have a list of favorite photogenic scenes from the whole series for fanartists to consider, partly compiled from audience requests.

A note on feedback: While it's not necessary to comment on every post I make, remember that I don't know who reads/likes things if nobody says anything. Particularly on long stories, I've discovered that I get antsy if there's nothing but crickets chirping for several posts. So it helps to give me feedback at least once, even if it's just "I like this" or "This one doesn't grab me." First and last episodes are ideal if you rarely feel inspired to comment in the middle.


"Happy Hour" Part 9


Happy explored the tabs on the screen again, finding collections of classic and contemporary games. Some of them were old arcade games. Others were computer games with recent release dates. Several games had release dates for later in the year. Happy had no idea what to make of that. Maybe Mr. Stark knew people who made games. Rich people traded favors all the time.

Happy liked the good old games, though. He selected Grand Prix and pulled the right controller from its nest. The purr of the engine revving up made him grin.

Some time later, Jarvis interrupted with, "Sir is awake now. You may wait for him in the kitchen. Feel free to avail yourself of coffee and breakfast, if you wish."

"In the kitchen? The main kitchen?" Happy said dubiously.

"Sir does not often stand on ceremony."

"No, just coffee tables," Happy said without thinking, and then wanted to smack himself.

"Indeed. It is helpful for there to be someone to catch him, in such case." The voice was dry but warm. Maybe Jarvis and Happy could tag-team and keep Mr. Stark from getting into trouble quite so often.

Happy went to the kitchen. It looked shiny and industrial, far more complex than anything he knew how to use. Ready lights glinted from countless appliances. Coffee already trickled into a coffee pot.

Happy had no idea where anything was, but gamely tried the cabinet above the coffee machine. Logic prevailed, it held coffee cups, and he borrowed one with some kind of scientific-looking print on it. The coffee was breathtakingly good. Happy had never tasted anything like it before.

Mr. Stark wandered in, rumpled and sleepy and obviously hungover. He poured most of the coffee pot into a tall blue thermos cup that he clutched with both hands.

Happy couldn't help smiling when he saw the TARDIS printed on it. That one he recognized; he'd gotten hooked on the show during his stay in England. The Doctor was as wild as Mr. Stark, in his own way. Happy chuckled a little.

Mr. Stark startled at the sound. He spun around and spied Happy. "Oh. You came back," he said.

Of course Mr. Stark hadn't really expected to find Happy in his kitchen. Contract or no contract, it was too good to be true. Happy knew that. He stood up to leave --

-- and found himself with an armful of Mr. Stark again, draped over him in a sloppy sideways hug. "Are you really staying? Because that would be great. It's just people usually don't," the billionaire burbled. A huge grin lit his face.

"Sir, I did inform you when you woke that Mr. Hogan had signed on with Stark Industries," said Jarvis.

"Details," Mr. Stark said with an airy wave of his hand. He took a long pull from his coffee. Then he turned his attention back to his new chauffeur. "So what do you say, Mr. Hogan?"

There was really only one answer to that, nevermind if it crossed a line and broke a long-standing personal rule.

"Actually, my friends call me Happy."

* * *

Notes:

Grand Prix is a video game about racing cars.

An industrial kitchen has a sleek, technological style with an emphasis on metallic fixtures.

This is the science cup.

This is Tony's TARDIS cup.


~ END ~