heavyweighthappy

[heavyweighthappy]

[cont from here with @arandomnerdsrp358 ]

"Hi," Happy shook his head, confused by her rather casual greeting. But more concerned than anything. He glanced around the room, seeing a few bags not yet unpacked. The kid must have been asleep in another room. Happy moved to join her on the couch, sitting close with his body language open enough. If she wanted or needed a hug, she'd get one. But he was playing it cautiously.

"What's going on, May? What happened?" Happy kept his voice low, not wanting to wake whoever May was now overwhelmed with caring for, whoever this poor kid was that just lost their parents.

[heavyweighthappy]

Happy glanced at the younger man in the rear view mirror. He frowned deeply, fighting back the urge to tell Tony what he really thought about these contracts, what he really wanted to do about Stern and others, and even, maybe especially Stain. But Stain, technically, was the one paying him, the one managing Tony’s money, the one controlling Tony’s life and by extension controlling Happy’s employment.

“I don’t know, boss.” Happy said, his hands white knuckling the steering wheel for a moment. His voice was a bit quiet but he looked up at Tony again, not wanting to sound defeatist. “Maybe there’s somebody worth meeting at this gala Friday night. We can hope, right?”

Someone who would look at Tony and not see dollar signs and stocks and power. Someone who saw Tony for the genius he was, the quick, funny, generous young man who was hurting even more than he wanted to show. The guy who didn’t feel he had anyone in his corner.

Happy swallowed hard, his gaze growing hard again and to the road. “Tony… is Stern right handed?”

The omega slowly picked up the bottle, opening it and taking a slow drink. The carbonation burned down his throat into his chest, but the sugar would help boost him back up so he didn’t crash as hard when he got home. He leaned back in his seat, dropped his head back, his bruised throat bared.

His eyes drifted closed, and he inhaled deeply, taking in Happy’s comforting scent, trying to ignore the scent of the senator still embedded in his skin. As the car pulled away from the curb, he breathed out a long sigh, lifting his head. He was glad the back windows were tinted, so he didn’t have to worry so much about the paparazzi.

“You want to teach me boxing, Happy?” He grinned, sipping slowly at the soda his driver and bodyguard had brought him, “You take such good care of me, huh?” He tried to joke, but it came out too soft, “Thank you, Happy.”

[heavyweighthappy]

"'Course, boss." Happy said after a moment. The way Tony had said it got to him. The way Tony smelled... Happy could smell the despair that lingered. He hated the way these things were set up. He hated the way Stain treated Tony, he hated the way Stern treated him.

Like it wasn't obvious. He knew next week or sometime soon there would be a function where Stern would try to get Tony alone. To hell if the Senator thought he was going to have a chance for that... Happy stuck to Tony like glue in public. So he could prevent those kinds of things. That was his job, after all.

But sending Tony off like this... Happy felt helpless. Mentally he kicked himself for not offering boxing lessons sooner. He would love for Tony to have the opportunity to defend himself. But he knew Omegas weren't really allowed that luxury. The least he could do was teach Tony how to take a hit and get back up.

Disguising it as 'unwinding' wasn't a total lie either. Happy could take a hit, he'd made a whole career out of it, just out lasting the other guy for the most part. He was sure Tony had a lot of anger to let out. Happy would gladly take those hits. But he had to start with the basics.

"I think we could both use a few rounds of beating the shit out of a bag."

The omega slowly picked up the bottle, opening it and taking a slow drink. The carbonation burned down his throat into his chest, but the sugar would help boost him back up so he didn’t crash as hard when he got home. He leaned back in his seat, dropped his head back, his bruised throat bared.

His eyes drifted closed, and he inhaled deeply, taking in Happy’s comforting scent, trying to ignore the scent of the senator still embedded in his skin. As the car pulled away from the curb, he breathed out a long sigh, lifting his head. He was glad the back windows were tinted, so he didn’t have to worry so much about the paparazzi.

“You want to teach me boxing, Happy?” He grinned, sipping slowly at the soda his driver and bodyguard had brought him, “You take such good care of me, huh?” He tried to joke, but it came out too soft, “Thank you, Happy.”

[heavyweighthappy]

"Sam, you know I'm trying to keep off sweets. My doctor-- Holy shit they have cherry cheesecake funnel cake. You're paying."

Happy was dressed casually, not something he did very often at all. But it was June and it was fucking hot, so shorts and a black teeshirt with "Bi & Badass" in the appropriate colors it was. It was a debate between that shirt and "Straight was my phase" (though it had been a long phase.) Both shirts given to him by Pepper and Tony when he'd casually mentioned his gaze drifting to women... and men. He had hand waved it, but really, it was touching. Now even more so.

Happy debated the heavenly saturated fried fat of a funnel cake over the delicious cooler idea of ice cream as they walked towards the long line. And he had to hand it to the confectioner, the Trans sundae with blueberry, strawberry and vanilla scoops of ice cream as big as his fist with matching syrups dizzled over it? That was starting to sound really tasty. The Bi sundae was raspberry and blue raspberry sherbet and something called taro for the purple. He wasn't a sherbet guy and not that adventurous.

"What are you getting?"

OPEN STARTER for PRIDE MONTH

SAM stood near the edge of the park, rainbow flag draped over his shoulders. No Captain America gear today, though a few folks still recognized him anyway. He didn’t mind. He smiled as a kid waved at him shyly. Sam grinned, gave them a salute, then crouched down and handed them one of the little shield stickers he'd brought just for this. ❝For a future hero.❞ He said with a wink. The kid beamed.

He stood again, taking a long look around — drag queens, couples dancing in the grass, someone proposing under a giant balloon arch, and a flood of colors. He didn’t know everyone here, but he knew he belonged and so did they. And if anyone was looking for a little safety, a little hope, or just someone to walk with for a while — Captain America was right there with them.

Sam tugged the flag a little tighter over his shoulders. ❝Now this is what freedom really looks like.❞ He said. ❝ — Alright, and I'm admittedly dying to have one of those ridiculous looking ice creams over there. You want one?❞

[heavyweighthappy]

"Well, I always enjoy talking to you, Nat." Happy's eyebrow rose at the smile. Was... she flirting with him? He never could tell with women. That was probably 99% of his problem with shooting his shot and failing spectacularly. He'd always flirt back, but when they were only being friendly he found himself coming off like a creep. Bad for a security guy. How did Tony do it so effortlessly?

"You're a good fighter. I like to think I still got it too. And, sure, I admit, knowing you've probably killed men before and think I'm worthy of sparring with is a bit of an ego trip. But... yeah, I like being around you. What's not to like?"

@cagedshewolf sent from Natasha...

"I think I've learned how to show a bit of mercy." Natasha said with a small smile.

"I fink you broke my nos'd," Happy covered his face, applying the right 'stuffy' inflections to his words. He knew it wasn't broken, he wasn't so far away from his boxing days yet. He uncovered his face, showing he wasn't even bleeding when he decided either A) He didn't really want her to feel badly that she might have really hurt him and B) Remembering she was a trained assassin and not the sexy assistant Tony had hired. Well, at least she wasn't the assistant part. In other words, thinking on it, she probably knew exactly how hard or how soft her blows were.

He tossed the boxing gloves in his arms onto the floor of the ring before lifting the rope to let her out of it first. She'd wiped the floor with him (and luckily not literally like the last time she had stepped into Tony's ring).

"I gotcha, didn't I?" Happy asked with a smirk, though he knew, he full well did not. "Admit it, you were a little worried."

[heavyweighthappy]

"I'll be right over, I promise. Hang in there."

Happy hung up and immediately regretted his word choice. But it was too late for that. He'd apologize once he was with May. Happy informed his team of security he needed to leave on a family emergency. He'd known May for a long time, since high school. They were good friends, even dated back then. But with college and his boxing career... Especially after the end of his boxing career, things had ended.

He hadn't spoken to May in almost a decade. He didn't even know who the kid's parents were. Had she gotten married? Why wasn't that guy in the picture? Was the kid blood related?

A flood of regrets washed over him as he pulled Rhodey aside to let him know he was leaving again and wouldn't be back any time soon. He explained was he could, an emergency with 'his ex' and Rhodey gave a nod, concerned but curious. Ever since he'd known Happy, the man had never had a steady girlfriend. Not flings, but seemingly perpetual bad luck.

None of them had been May.

Happy reached her apartment in near record time, probably pissing off several motorists to do so. He gave exactly zero shits about that. May needed him. He was the one she called.

He still had the key, the apartment they had bought together in Queens, close to their parents. The apartment he had left and let May keep, no strings. He still paid for the advanced security system on it, he didn't mind.

Happy let himself in, thinking it would be a surprise but not thinking she would care with everything going on.

"May..." He shut the door behind him and seeing her, a wreck of tears, messy hair and flushed face, still as beautiful as ever tore at his chest. How could he be so stupid to have ever let her go and stay away? How could he have done this to her, leave her alone, emotionally abandon her, push her away like he had? How could he have let himself ruin the best thing that had ever happened to him?

No. Her brother and sister in law weren’t okay. They were the last bit of family she had and now they were gone.

“Right. Tony’s party.” Her voice was raspy and her throat was sore from crying.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. But didn’t know who else to call. I’ll see you in a little bit?”

[heavyweighthappy]

"Really?" Harold gave her a shy smile, then nodded quickly, "Oh, sure, of course. I usually eat with a couple of friends on the team, but they're good guys, they won't hassle you or anything."

Harold wasn't on the football team, but a few second stringers were in his biology class and he knew it was a good idea to 'talk shop'. He would try out as they were coming up. People always assumed he was a football player on account of his size and his Pop was tired of Harold giving the line of 'well, I just wanna focus on schoolwork'.

"You know, they're having cheerleader tryouts soon. A pyramid went kinda sideways and two girls injured themselves and they need to fill out the lineup, I guess. You oughta try out."

She blinked in astonishment. They had just met and he was already putting so much trust in her abilities. Normally she would be skeptical, but there was an aura about him that radiated honesty in a way that made her automatically trust him.

“Okay. If you’re sure. Keep the money though. Just eat lunch with me today and we’ll call it even.”

[heavyweighthappy]

"My job is really two fold. I'm not just a driver..." Happy trailed off, glancing at his map on the car's GPS system and their surroundings. No, he wasn't imagining things. It was definitely looking worse. He had grown up in Queens, in a not so perfect neighborhood of it, but he felt safe enough, even as a teen, walking the streets. If his mother was still alive, maybe he wouldn't feel safe with her walking those same streets. And old neighborhoods tended to down grade after a while...

"Yeah, back when SHIELD was spying on Tony, they sent Black Widow. She and I actually took out a few goons together. I used to be a boxer, ya know-- Miss Lewis, are we paying you enough? Or am I about to drop you off at a place with bars on the window? I got a nice condo, I could set you up with a meeting with the board for an application there."

The annoyance, or the stone cold impassive face that gave Happy Hogan his nickname, melted away the moment she mentioned him being an Avenger. He smiled, modestly, but inside he was positively bubbling. It was nice to be properly appreciated every now and again.

“Me? Nah… But I suppose what I do I’d important. You know I try to look after people in my own way. Even if it isn’t stopping buildings from falling on them or stuff like that…” He leaned forward, glancing at the sign on the over pass, then at his GPS, “Are you sure you gave me the right address, Miss Lewis?”

[heavyweighthappy]

The annoyance, or the stone cold impassive face that gave Happy Hogan his nickname, melted away the moment she mentioned him being an Avenger. He smiled, modestly, but inside he was positively bubbling. It was nice to be properly appreciated every now and again.

“Me? Nah… But I suppose what I do I’d important. You know I try to look after people in my own way. Even if it isn’t stopping buildings from falling on them or stuff like that…” He leaned forward, glancing at the sign on the over pass, then at his GPS, “Are you sure you gave me the right address, Miss Lewis?”

@heavyweighthappy - generic 'while Tony is still alive' timeline starter!

While working for Tony Stark was absolutely awesome, in every possible way, and having a boss who actually cared whether she died walking back home in the middle of the night was a nice change of pace - even if maybe he only did out of respect for Thor, there was no way she could know - Darcy was now regretting everything. Because she had gotten so invested in the project that she and the team had stayed until far too late, and Tony being Tony, he had offered his driver, or more accurately ordered her to be driven home by his driver, once he had heard she was going to take the subway.

And now she had to find a way to make Happy stop way before reaching her actual neighbor and not wait for her to go in, or she'd have to explain that she lived in what was basically the sewers of that side of town. They may get robbed if he parked in front of her house at 2am. But there was time. For now all she could do was talk. "I can't believe I actually got excited about work, I've never been excited about any subject in my entire life. High-school me would have gotten drug-tested if she offered to do extra homework... What about you? You are kinda like an Avenger yourself." As someone who had been behind the scenes several times, she knew first-hand just how involved the non-Avengers people around the superhero could be, and if Jane had been vital, then probably so was Happy, letting people get where they needed in time.

[heavyweighthappy]

@arandomnerdsrp358 sent...

“Yes I get stressed out watching you fight and yes that means I bite my nails from the stress. But I don’t want to stop coming to support you.”

"I told you, May. I don't want you here. I love you. But--" Harold sighed heavily. He had told her before. They had argued over it. She came anyway. And now she was seeing him like this, her nails a mess, her heart rate to God knows what.

"But I told you, I don't want you seeing me like this. I can handle it, but I don't think you can. Please, May--" He kissed her head. "Just get out of here. I'll see you at home."

He had no idea he was doing exactly the same thing his father had with his mother. Only his father had told his Ma this was 'no place for a woman' and 'go home and have dinner ready'. But still. They had wanted to support the man in their lives and the men had sent them packing.

[heavyweighthappy]

As much as I would love to see that you know what I mean

Please don’t hit any lawsuits

driving in my car beep beep

speed limits are for chumps and sober ppl

[heavyweighthappy]

Please drag race responsibility

driving in my car beep beep

speed limits are for chumps and sober ppl

[heavyweighthappy]

Happy pulled him in his arms again, his strong arms around Campbell's wirey frame. He leaned his chin against Cam's head, gently shushing him, comfortingly. Happy fought back tears of his own, but finally let them fall, silently. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his voice tight when he spoke.

"I'll decide when it's too much effort, okay?" Happy scolded lightly. He kissed Cam's temple. "I love you. I want to help you. We'll figure this out. We'll get through it. Please don't be afraid to come to me. You're not too much effort. You forget I deal with Tony Stark on a daily basis." Happy smiled, hoping to lighten the mood and get Cam to calm down and talk to him. "You wanna talk about an effort?"

He looked at Happy for a few long seconds. “I.. probably should, shouldn'I?” It hadn’t occurred to him before but.. he ought to. You couldn’t lie about something this big and expect to be forgiven.

It made him cry all over again, but this time, luckily, it meant silent tears rather than breathless panic.

“At thes point- I’m pretty sure ye’re the only guid thing I’ve got, but- but I’ve not been honest, an’ I’m sae sorry.” He started out slowly, but started speaking faster and faster. Cam needed to get as much information out as possible before Happy would eventually, inevitably, turn away in disgust. Or anger. Definitely disappointment. “I’m- I’ve got thes- mental health.. thing? I thought- I dun have insurance here. Or a therapist. Or medication, uhm. I thought I’d- thought I could dae et m'self, but-”

Ah, shit, his throat was feeling tight again. “I can’t. I can’t. I’m sae sorry, I should’ve tauld ye, I should- et’s not fair of me- ye deserve-” A sob choked off his plea again.

[heavyweighthappy]

"I love you, too, May. You know I know all about dads who... well, just can't be satisfied with their kids choices in life." Happy sighed. He'd recently earned that nickname and liked it so much he started introducing himself with it. Because of the way May smiled when she said it, like she thought it was the cutest thing in the world. So that's who he was. Because she made him feel that way, all the time. He was a scowler in the ring and gearing up for a match, which earned him the nickname, the way he took things so seriously at work.

He didn't like May showing up at his fights. Even if she wanted to support him. He couldn't stomach the worry in her face, the way he could pick her gasp out of a crowd of yelling men while getting hit in the face.

"You're talented. He's crazy not to see that."

Thankfully he was tall enough that she could hide her face in his shoulder so he wouldn’t see how red her cheeks were turning. It had been a little over a decade since they’d met and she still got butterflies in her stomach every time he complimented her.

“There were times I wanted to give up. Whenever my dad said I couldn’t make a living out of my art or whenever I had moments of self doubt you were always there to remind me that I could do it and that I couldn’t be successful. So don’t ever doubt how important you are to me. Okay? I love you.”

[heavyweighthappy]

Happy took another swig of water, grabbing a hand towel and dried his face and neck off. He hadn’t many girlfriends, not that it was a subject he talked to the littlest (at the time) Stark about. Happy had a bad habit of diving in the deep end too fast. He grew more serious about a relationship usually more quickly than his date.

“Ana, what’s ’love bombing?’ I heard that term recently. Not about me,” Happy lied quickly. “But it’s… a bad thing?”

“Thank you, sweetie. See, was that so hard?” Happy took the water, unscrewing the lid and taking a hearty gulp. Then, mostly to himself, “And I’m hot. How many guys cook? That’s, like, pretty up there, right? Attraction wise? Chicks still go for that?”

Happy didn’t mind asking whom he considered his god-daughter this, as she was a smart, grown woman. He wasn’t about to venture further than dating advice and he highly doubted she’d offer anything he did not want to be hearing from her. He would happily boast his boxing record to any potential dates of hers. Just so they knew…

[heavyweighthappy]

“Thank you, sweetie. See, was that so hard?” Happy took the water, unscrewing the lid and taking a hearty gulp. Then, mostly to himself, “And I’m hot. How many guys cook? That’s, like, pretty up there, right? Attraction wise? Chicks still go for that?”

Happy didn’t mind asking whom he considered his god-daughter this, as she was a smart, grown woman. He wasn’t about to venture further than dating advice and he highly doubted she’d offer anything he did not want to be hearing from her. He would happily boast his boxing record to any potential dates of hers. Just so they knew…

"Why do you have to say it like that? You could just say 'Oh Uncle Happy, you just haven't found the right one?' or 'You have a lot of attractive skills'? Why 'subjective'?" Happy got off the tredmill, using this as an excuse to stop since he wanted to anyway. He knew getting back in fighting shape was probably out of the question at his age, but loosing a couple of belt notches might be do able.

[heavyweighthappy]

How many people are simping for you?

stolen from @antvnger